3013: MENDED (3 page)

“Men have been killed for a lot less.” General Whitmore chuckled at the look of disbelief on Cami’s face. “You’re not in the Capital anymore, sweetheart.”

“I’m not from—” Cami stopped and waved her hand. “Never mind.”

As much as Tariq hated to admit it, the guy made a point. He’d once seen a Helios go super nova on the bartender of the Rusty Spigot for giving him the wrong drink. The most baffling part was that the seedy bar only served one thing, a concoction called Rocket Fuel that tasted like a cross between Krytos piss and burnt hair.

Apparently, the customer hadn’t read the fine print, and three years later, cleaning crews still couldn’t get the blood stains off the walls. Station 4 saw all types this far out in the Big Black, and few of its visitors came with honorable intentions. In this instance, however, Tariq was inclined to believe Cami had witnessed something more sinister than a dispute over a harlot.

“What does it matter how it started?” Cami questioned. “A man is still dead. Shouldn’t you be doing something about that?”

“What would you have me do, Miss Brighton?” The general held his hands out to the sides and glanced mockingly at several points in the room. “Where’s the body? All I have is your word that you witnessed a murder, and by your own admission, you didn’t actually
see
anything. I have no victim, no suspect, and no proof.”

Cami’s eyes narrowed, and despite her mask of calm, Tariq could see the fissures forming in her composure. Regrettably, experience had taught him the universe was not always fair or just, and the word of an outsider meant nothing, even to those meant to protect them. So while he sympathized with her frustration, he couldn’t claim surprise at the elite’s reaction.

“So that’s it?” Cami demanded. “You’re not going to do anything?”

“How do you even know he’s dead?”

“Because I felt it.”

General Whitmore’s brow creased and a little vein near his temple throbbed. “Bullshit.”

Gripping the armrests of his chair hard enough to splinter the wood, Tariq leaned forward with a rumbled growl. “Watch your tone, Whitmore.”

Cami, on the other hand, merely offered the man a shrewd grin. “I’m sure you’re aware that pain receptors are located in the brain. If you cut your hand right now, it’s not your hand that tells your brain to hurt, but the other way around.”

In the time Tariq had known him, he’d never seen Holden Whitmore at a loss for words…until now. Before he could truly appreciate the way the general’s mouth flopped open like a beached
mohi
, Cami spoke again.

“Your victim is a human male, a dock worker, with dark hair and sea-green eyes.”

General Whitmore sat a little straighter in his seat. “How do you know that?”

“I can see images sometimes, if a person is concentrating hard enough. They’re just flashes, only a second or two, but it’s enough.” Cami pulled in a deep breath through her nose and released it slowly through her slightly-parted lips. “As for your suspect, I didn’t see him, but I can tell you he’s Tarin. Also, does the name Jahara mean anything to you?”

Tariq shared a brief look with Whitmore and echoed the guy’s groan.

A thief and a smuggler of black market goods, Dax Jahara had been a thorn in the side of the known universe for years. His slimy reputation and catalog of shady dealings made him a pariah, even amongst other pirates and rebels. Hell, he’d been born the son of a Tarin concubine—or so the rumor went—and even the Tarins refused to claim him.

“There’s no record of Jahara being aboard the station.” Tariq had personally set the flags in the security system to send out an alert when Jahara’s ship, the
Revolution
, landed in one of the docking bays. “If he was here, it wasn’t aboard his own vessel.”

“Jahara wouldn’t get his hands dirty,” General Whitmore added. “It’s not his style.”

Cami shook her head. “I don’t think he was here on the station. I got the sense the killer was trying to cover his own backside, not that he was taking orders. He’s involved, but he was thinking he wouldn’t take the fall for Jahara.”

“Okay. Fine.” Rising to his feet, General Whitmore strode to the office door and held his hand out when it slid open. “I’ll look into it. In the meantime, get comfortable, Miss Brighton. You’re going to be with us for a while.”

“What? No.” Cami stopped just outside the doorway and shook her head, making her ebony waves bounce around her heart-shaped face. “I have to get to Alpha Station: X4.”

“I’m sorry, but that’s not going to happen, not until I know what’s going on around here.” Looking over her head, he nodded at Tariq. “She’s your responsibility until further notice.”

“Not fucking likely.” He had more important things to do than to babysit some pampered angel, no matter how delicious she smelled. “Get one of your elite assholes to watch her.”

“Please.” Soft and beseeching, Cami’s voice rang in his ears as if she’d yelled the single word. Turning her back to the general, she brushed her hair forward, skimming her fingers near the corner of her right eye. “You know what will happen,” she whispered.

Fuck.
“Fine,” he bit out through clenched teeth. “I’ll watch out for her.”

“Good.” General Whitmore smirked. “You’ll be in good hands, Camille.”

A shining smile lit her face as she gazed up at Tariq. “I know.”

Tariq simply groaned.

“The station doesn’t have guest rooms, so you’re going to have to bunk in my quarters. Don’t touch anything.” Tariq stood in the middle of the hallway, just outside the general’s office with his arms crossed over his massive chest. “Don’t complain. Don’t ask questions. In fact, let’s just not talk.”

Cami turned away to hide her smile. Despite all evidence to the contrary, she didn’t buy his surly and gruff demeanor. Tariq didn’t strike her as the type of male who took orders, and if he truly hadn’t wanted her around, she wouldn’t be there.

“Anything else?” she asked, still not looking at him.

“No crying.”

“I think I can manage that.”

She’d never been the weepy sort. A lady didn’t cry or curse or lose her temper. Her father had a long list of rules designed to keep her safe, but Cami often felt suffocated by his protectiveness. Since fleeing home to escape her psychotic father, Derrek, she’d arrived on the wrong space station, broken her ship’s navigation, witnessed a murder, and had generally been scared out of her mind at every turn. For the first time in more than a decade, though, she was free.

“Why is she so small? She doesn’t look like other females. Maybe she’s sick. I should feed her.”

Pressing her lips together, Cami pinched herself hard on the thigh to hold back her giggles. It was just like a man to try to solve his problems with food.

“I could eat,” she answered his unvoiced question.

Tariq scowled at her. “New rule. Stay out of my head.”

“Then you shouldn’t think so loudly,” Cami argued. “I wasn’t purposely eavesdropping on your thoughts. You were just sort of…yelling.”

Instead of chastising her as she’d expected, Tariq sighed and jerked his thumb to the left. “I’ll take you to get food.”

“Is there a place I can buy some real shoes?” Cami held her left foot up to show the patches of grease and other grime blotting her soft, purple slippers. “If I’m going to be staying for a few days, I’ll also need more clothes and some personal items.”

“Bay E is still on lockdown, but I can have a repair tech retrieve any belongings from your ship.” Tariq turned and began walking as though that solved the matter.

“I don’t have any—wait.”

Half jogging to match his long strides, Cami hurried to catch up, but her soft shoes hadn’t been made for running. The toe of the slipper caught against the threadbare carpet, sending her tumbling head over feet to the ground. Sprawled on her stomach with only one shoe on and her dress hiked up to her hips, Cami whimpered as she felt the heat of a blush stain her cheeks.

“This is all your fault.”

Helping her to her feet, Tariq snorted as he brushed her tangled hair out of her face. “Probably. Maybe we should try to get your belongings now.”

Cami adjusted her clothes and pulled Tariq’s jacket around her tighter. “That’s what I was trying to tell you. I didn’t bring anything with me.” She tucked her hand into the pocket of her sundress, only to find it empty. “No, no, no.” Spinning in a circle, she searched the floor for the missing data chips. “Oh, fiddlesticks, this can’t be happening.”

“Strong language, angel.” Tariq smirked. “What are you hemorrhaging about anyway?”

“Data chips. I was supposed to give one to Commander Quinn, and the other had credits.” The icy tendrils of panic began to coil in her gut. “They’re gone. They were right here, and now they’re gone.”

The lines around Tariq’s eyes softened, and his tone was gentler when he spoke. “Okay, just breathe, Cami. You probably lost them when you fell, that’s all. We’ll find them.”

She appreciated his reassurances, but they didn’t help her situation. “They’re not here. You’re looking at the same floor I am. Do you see them?” Cami could hear the undertone of hysteria in her voice, but she couldn’t worry about being a lady right then.

Tariq pointed to a small grate in the floor behind her. “I think they may have disappeared down there.”

Turning, Cami dropped to her knees and stuck her fingers through the slats of the grate. “I can’t reach. I can’t see anything, either.” She leaned against the wall and huffed. “Why is there even a hole in the floor anyway?”

“Oxygen,” Tariq answered with an arched eyebrow. “What did you think? Life support systems ran on magic?”

With as much dignity as she could muster, Cami stood and brushed the dirt off her pale pink dress. “There’s no need to be rude.”

“Let’s go, angel.” Placing a hand in the middle of her back, Tariq gave her a nudge to get her moving. “Dinner is on me.”

Her problems weren’t Tariq’s fault, and she felt badly for taking her anxiety out on him. “Thank you. I know this wasn’t your choice, but I’m still grateful for your help.”

Tariq stared straight ahead and didn’t answer as he led her to the end of the hall where the narrow passageway opened into a large circular atrium. Pale blue lights transitioned into a warm, amber glow and Cami’s senses exploded with the sights, smells, and sounds of the common area. Not since the Academy had she seen so many people gathered in one place, and the sheer volume of noise alone threatened to overwhelm her. 

Cami hadn’t realized she’d stopped walking until Tariq gave another little push between her shoulder blades. “There are so many people,” she breathed, digging her feet in and refusing to go another step. “I don’t think I can do this.”

“Don’t be afraid.” Tariq gave her another gentle nudge. “No one is going to hurt you,” he promised.

“I’m not that hungry. Really.” Her stomach gave a painful squeeze in protest, but she ignored it. “I just need some rest.”

Stepping in front of her, Tariq used his broad, muscular frame to block her view of the atrium. Then he took her chin between his thumb and forefinger and tilted her face up to meet his gaze.

“No one is going to hurt you,” he repeated. With his free hand, he pressed two fingers against her temple and nodded. “I’m not going to let that happen.”

Cami didn’t need to search his mind for the truth. She could hear the sincerity in his words, but more than that, she felt it in her heart. “Okay. I can do this. I’m not afraid.”

“Good girl.” Moving to stand beside her again, he placed his massive hand on the small of her back. “Now, let’s go.”

Vendor stands of every type dotted the center of the atrium. Sunglasses, sweets, exotic jewelry—anything she could possibly want could be purchased at these booths. A human woman with a star tattoo at the corner of her eye claimed to be able to see the future…for the right number of credits.

“Who is she?” Cami pointed to the woman with spiky blonde hair and oversized earrings. “Do you know her?”

Tariq nodded at the woman as they passed her. “That’s Scarlett Nikandros. She landed here about two years ago.”

“Is she a Precog? I mean, can she really see the future?” Cami couldn’t fathom why the woman would tout such incredible abilities as cheap entertainment. “Where did she come from?”

“We don’t ask questions here, angel. Whatever she was running from isn’t my business.”

“If no one asks questions, then how do you know she was running?”

“Easy,” Tariq answered, his tone devoid of any emotion, “because everyone on board is trying to escape something.” He pushed a little more insistently to hurry her across the court. “You talk too much.”

Trying to distract herself from the urge to peek inside his mind, Cami turned her attention to the shops that lined the curving wall of the atrium. Four pubs in such a small space seemed a bit excessive, but the lone restaurant had a certain charm. Other storefront windows displayed an array of clothing from casual to functional, though she doubted she’d find any of the latest fashions on their racks.

Not that it mattered. She didn’t have a single credit to her name anyway. Worse, she didn’t know how to contact her family to ask for help. By now, Lucas and her father would know she hadn’t arrived on X4, and both were probably losing their minds over it.

“Starscape,” Tariq announced, interrupting her thoughts.

“Hmm?” Shaking her head to clear it, she looked up and smiled at the sign over the entrance. “Oh, wow.” The restaurant’s name stood illuminated in shades of purple and blue against a backdrop of twinkling stars. “It’s so pretty.”

“The food isn’t bad, either. Come along, angel.”

The way he said “angel” sounded more mocking than endearing. “I have a name, you know.”

“I know.” A smug grin tilted one side of his mouth. “Angel suits you.”

Winding his way through the crowded, softly lit dining room, Tariq led her to a circular two-top table at the back of the restaurant. He didn’t hold her chair out for her, nor did he wait for her to sit before dropping into his own seat.

Once situated, Cami blinked several times when a server appeared, seemingly from nowhere, to take their order. Before she could even request a menu, Tariq began speaking. “Two waters and whatever Naila has on special today.” Leaning closer, he glanced around the room and lowered his voice. “Did she get a new shipment in yet?”

The server, an Amazon of a woman with untamed dark curls and eyes just as black winked at him. “Not yet, but come back tomorrow, sugar.” Then she smiled at Cami before marching away.

“What was that about? What shipment?”

Tariq shook his head. “You’ll just have to wait until tomorrow. It’s a surprise.”

Fine, she could play along. If Tariq intended to bring her back to Starscape for a special meal, that obviously meant he planned to stick around for a while. Besides, as much as Cami liked surprises, she had more pressing matters on her mind.

“Tariq, can you help me get a message to my family?” She’d expected a begrudging agreement, or at worst, a grunt and a scowl. Nothing could have prepared her for his deep, rumbling laugh. “Did I say something funny?”

“You want to send a message to your family? On Earth? From here?”

Irritated, Cami stuck her chin out and squared her shoulders. “Well, yes.”

“Angel, the comms barely work between station sectors half the time. There’s no way you’re getting a transmission to Earth.”

“General Whitmore has to communicate with the Alliance,” she argued. “There must be some way to send a message that far. My father and my brother are going to birth kittens when they find out I’m not where I’m supposed to be.”

“Kittens?” Tariq snorted. “Okay, I’ll make you a deal.” Rocking his chair back on just two legs, Tariq linked his fingers together behind his neck. “Tell me why you’re really here, and I’ll see what I can do about getting a message to Earth.”

“I told you, it was a mistake. I’m supposed to be on X4 with Commander Quinn.”

“Right.” Tariq inclined his head. “Why were you going to X4?”

“That’s not really any of your business.” Hoping to give him a taste of his own rudeness, Cami asked the question she’d been holding back since he’d told her everyone on the station was trying to escape something. “Why are you here? What are you running from, Tariq Navarra?”

A mask of indifference slid over his face as he dropped all four legs of his chair back to the floor, but he answered without hesitation. “I’m here because my tribe betrayed me and my mother banished me. Now, tell me, little angel, what are
you
running from?”

“The same as everyone else, I guess.” Cami stared down at the scarred tabletop and shrugged. “My past.”

Neither of them spoke after that, and dinner passed in awkward silence. The special of the day turned out to be a sort of “everything” soup, and while Cami couldn’t decipher all the ingredients, she loved it. It reminded her of the soup her mother used to make, and the memory brought with it a wave of homesickness, not just for Earth, but for the life she’d once known.

By the time she and Tariq had finished eating, the sadness and depression felt like a heavy blanket wrapped around her, suffocating her. With her emotions unstable, she couldn’t maintain the focus to keep her mental guards up.

So when the voices began, they all came in one deafening rush.

“I should have gotten the special.”

“My ship better be refueled by the time I get there. I’m ready to get the hell off this shithole.”

“What is he doing with her? He can do so much better.”

Merchants calculated prices, servers repeated orders, and somewhere a man wondered if his lover had strayed. On and on it went until each separate voice coalesced into a brain-shattering roar.

“Cami? Cami, look at me. Open your eyes and look at me.”

Warm hands cradled her face, bringing some semblance of reality back to her. Prying her lids open, she stared up at Tariq through blurry eyes and moaned. Everything hurt. Her heart pounded and her temples throbbed, making her lightheaded, and each breath came in short, shallow pants until her stomach cramped with nausea.

“Cami, focus,” Tariq ordered. “Look right here at me, only me.” He stroked her cheeks with his fingertips and petted her hair. “That’s it, angel. Deep breath. Good,” he praised when she complied. “Again. One more.”

Staring into his amber eyes, Cami breathed in through her nose and out through her mouth, focusing solely on his voice. “Keep talking, please.”

“I’m not going to let anything happen to you, remember?”