that even if he’d managed to shake his guards that there would literally be no place to run and hide. Paine and Rowe could have overtaken him within moments, once they’d followed him into the corridor.
“I let go of him to catch Andi and the babies,” Rowe added, voicing his part in the events that ended up with their prisoner dying. “The moment I let go, Bosch ran out of the med center, although I don’t know where he was thinking he could have gone.”
“Where was Paine?”
“He was talking to us about Indigo’s treatment.” Tamin gestured to the far corner where monitors lined the wall. “Rodin and I were concerned she’d suffered a setback from their absence during the last mission on Euphoria. The moment he saw what was happening, Paine was behind Bosch giving chase but was unable to catch him before he cleared the door. We immediately heard a shot fired.”
“Were you surprised at how quickly Krilis reacted?”
“Very,” Rowe answered with a nod. “The fact that there was a shot at all surprised me. Not only did I expect the elder to step aside and let us handle Bosch, but it also happened immediately after he’d cleared the door. There’s no way Krilis would have been able to react so quickly. He had to have already had his weapon drawn and ready the moment he walked through.”
“Not only that, but the blast hit him at point-blank range,” Tamin said, pointing to the charred spot on the front of Bosch’s tunic. “Although we didn’t see it happen, the evidence speaks for itself. The blaster was definitely touching him when it fired.”
Axis shook his head, unable to believe what he was hearing. “Where was Kaine when all of this happened?”
“He’d received a message from Phaeton Two that required his attention, as well as that of Councilor Cramer,” Rowe relayed. “He left within moments of our arrival.”
“And Krilis? Where’s he at right now?”
“He left when Paine and Rodin took Andi and the babies home.” Tamin began cleaning up the tools around Bosch’s corpse. From what Axis could see, the doctor had indeed tried to save the dead man. “He was on his way to speak to Kaine about what had happened.”
“And most likely put his own spin on it,” Rowe mumbled loud enough for Axis to hear.
“Why do you say that?” Axis had his own feelings about the elder councilor, and none of them were positive. He was curious what the other’s opinions were on the old warrior.
“The timing doesn’t make sense.” Rowe shook his head at them both. “Krilis claimed that he’d heard the scuffle and turned around to see Bosch ready to attack, so he fired in self-defense. He would have had to draw his blaster faster than I believe he’s able. He used to be one of our most efficient battle warriors, but those days are long gone. I’m not the only one that has noticed how his age has caught up with him. There is no denying his elder status, regardless of the warrior braids he still wears.”
“You agree?”
Tamin nodded. “Although I cannot give you details regarding his most recent visit to me as a patient, I can tell you that his health is deteriorating quickly, although he refuses to acknowledge it.”
“What do you mean?” Axis himself had seen the elder’s shaking hands, but he wondered if there could be something more he needed to know.
Tamin ran a hand through his hair and let out a heavy sigh of frustration before turning toward the med center door. “Come on.”
“Wait,” Axis said, even as he began to follow the doctor out of the med center and down the corridor. “Where are we going?”
“Yeah, where are we going?” Rowe parroted where he’d fallen into step behind them.
“To speak to Kaine.” Tamin increased his pace, causing Axis and Rowe to do the same in order to keep up. “He needs to know what I found during Krilis’s last exam.”
* * *
“It has affected his mind?”
“Quite a bit,” Tamin answered with a grim nod. “Lynd suggested the tests.”
“Isn’t that the doctor onboard Two?” Axis wasn’t familiar with a large number of the warriors on their second ship, but he’d visited their med center before and the name sounded familiar.
“It is.” Tamin pulled out his communications tablets and displayed the message he’d received from the other doctor.
“Erratic behavior? Mood swings? Memory loss?” Kaine read through the list of worries the other doctor had contacted Tamin and Rodin with. “How long has this