Caught by Menace (36 page)

uncuffed. There was a metal rack with no mattress or

blanket and a silver toilet and sink in the corner. The

door was solid metal with a food tray slot and

observation window. Taking advantage of her moment of

privacy, Naya used the restroom and washed her hands.

Alone in the quiet cel, she refused to cry. This wasn’t

the first time she’d been abandoned. She’d survive. She

the first time she’d been abandoned. She’d survive. She

always did. The knowledge that Menace had turned his

back on her hurt worse than anything she’d ever

experienced. Part of her wished that Terror had put his

hands on her, that he’d beaten her to a bloody pulp to

extract the information he wrongly believed she

possessed. At least then she’d have real physical pain to

distract her from the gnawing, burning ache of ruined

love.

“It’s your own damn fault,” she whispered angrily. It

was. There was no denying that. If she’d told Menace

everything about her past, he wouldn’t have been

blindsided and so easily convinced by Terror. After the

way the Shadow Force agent had come after her, she

could only imagine what tricks he’d used to convince

Menace that she was a lying, murderous terrorist.

That Menace could believe her capable of something

so sinister tore at her heart. She’d been certain he was

going to tel her he loved her this morning. She’d been

waiting with bated breath for him to say the words so she

could return them to him without the fear of being

rejected.

She hoped that his friends would raly around him and

protect him from the blowback. Her love for him didn’t

protect him from the blowback. Her love for him didn’t

end with this betrayal. She wanted him safe and alive,

even if that meant she would never see him again. It

wasn’t his fault that he’d chosen and Grabbed her. Her

sky warrior had no idea what he was doing when he

brought her and her murky past into his life.

Metal hinges creaked. A food tray slid through the

slot. She didn’t hesitate to snatch it free from the door. If

this was going to be her only meal, she needed to eat al

of it. A flattened prisoner cup in a plastic package came

through the slot next. She ripped open the package and

assembled the thin paper cup. It had a leak along the

bottom so she could only drink over the sink. Not the

most glamorous situation, but it quenched her thirst.

After polishing off every last morsel of food, she

placed the tray in the slot and pushed it through to the

other side. She moved to the rack and tried to get

comfortable on the cold metal slab. It reminded her of

her early days of sleeping in aleys and on sidewalks. In

those first days, she hadn’t learned the various tricks to

make her nights more comfortable and warm like

salvaging cardboard, newspapers and blankets.

Sleep didn’t come easy, but she managed to quiet her

mind finaly. If she had any hope of surviving and finding

mind finaly. If she had any hope of surviving and finding

a way to save herself, she needed to recharge her

batteries before they dropped her back on Calyx. She

wasn’t sure how long she slept, but it felt like hours.

Two loud bangs on the door startled her. She bolted

upright. The cover on the window opened and Pierce’s

face came into view. “Five-minute warning. If you need

to pee, you better do it now.”

The window cover slammed closed and she jumped

off the bed. Not wanting to have an audience, she used

the bathroom in a hurry. She sat down on the rack again

and clamped her shaking hands between her knees. The

ful weight of what these men expected her to accomplish

crushed her. She didn’t even know if it could be done,

but she had to try. She couldn’t let Halie or Menace be

hurt.

There was another knock before the cel door

opened. Pierce dangled a pair of cuffs from one hand

and a black hood in the other. Her gut soured at the sight

of the hood. The man gestured for her to stand. He

pointed to her neck. “I need your colar.”

Naya took a step back and brought her hands to her

throat. She touched the soft blue leather and the dangling

silver tag. “Why?”

silver tag. “Why?”

His expression softened. “Your bond has been

dissolved. You don’t have the right to wear it anymore.”

Dissolved? Divorced. Like a palet of bricks dropped

on her head, the realization that she and Menace were no

more left her dizzy. Her heart beat wildly and her chest

constricted painfuly.

With trembling fingers, she reached back and

unbuckled the colar. Her eyes closed briefly as the

memory of Menace locking it around her neck tormented

her. She could almost feel the heat of his adoring gaze on

her skin. Swalowing hard, she puled the colar away

from her neck and handed it to Pierce. His jaw twitched

as he took it from her.

“I’l make sure he gets it back,” he promised as he

pocketed the colar.

His words gave her hope. “Is he al right?”

Pierce studied her. “Not realy. He’s torn up about

this. You have to understand that he didn’t want it to go

this way, but the evidence against you…”

She found some consolation in the idea that he’d

struggled with the decision to give her up. “Are they

realy going to send him to prison?”

realy going to send him to prison?”

Pierce motioned for her to extend her wrists and

started to cuff her. “If they don’t get the weapons or

good intel on this Splinter cel on Calyx, he’s got a one-

way ticket to Kovark. Terror and Vicious won’t let him

go down for treason.” He tightened the cuffs around her

wrists. “If you’re able to get Terror what he wants, it’s

very likely Menace wil only get a year or two in prison.

He’s strong. He’l survive it.”

She understood what he was saying. If she realy

loved Menace, she’d do whatever it took to get that

information for Terror. It was the only way to ensure his

life would be saved. “I’l do my best.”

“If you hope to save your life, you’d better.”

Naya took a chance. “You know I’m innocent.”

“What I think doesn’t matter. Terror has made his

decision. There’s no going back.” Pierce glanced at his

watch. “We have seven minutes until Terror expects us. I

can let you record a message if you want.”

She smiled sadly. “My last wil and testament, huh?”

He looked uncomfortable. “Something like that.”

“I don’t know what I’d say.” The pain was too raw

for her even to contemplate a final message to Menace.

for her even to contemplate a final message to Menace.

“Maybe you’d like to warn a friend.”

His message came through loud and clear. Halie!

Pierce retrieved a smal recording device from his

pocket. “You’ve got two minutes. Make it quick.”

Naya didn’t waste any time. She sat down on the

edge of the rack, hit the record button and started to talk

into the smal screen. She prayed her friend would

remember the old codes or at least be able to piece the

information together. “Halie, I’m sorry I missed brunch

today. I got some bad news about an uncle of mine. I’m

on my way to visit him. I’m hoping Aunt Ruthie isn’t sick

too. If I make it back, I guess I’l have to quarantine

myself so I don’t infect anyone else on the ship.” She bit

her lower lip before whispering, “Good luck, Halie.”

“Done?”

She handed him the recorder and stood. “Yes.”

Pierce slipped it into his pocket and opened the hood.

A few seconds later, the dark fabric covered her head.

“Say goodbye to the
Valiant
, Naya.”

A silent tear dripped down her cheek. Trapped in the

darkness, she surrendered totaly to Pierce’s control. Her

fate was sealed.

“Why won’t they let me see her?” Menace paced the

length of Vicious’ office. He’d been freed from custody

earlier that morning after his court-appointed attorney

had poked a milion holes in the case against him. “It’s

been twenty-six hours since they arrested us. My lawyer

says there’s no reason we can’t see each other.”

“I don’t know, Menace.” Looking haggard, Vicious

rubbed his face with his hands. Not only was Vicious

trying to deal with the falout of a suspected terrorist

living onboard the ship for over a month, but there had

been major malfunctions in the
Valiant
’s many systems

overnight. “I’m getting stonewaled by Pierce. No one

wil tel me where Terror is or where he’s put Naya. I’m

assuming he has her in one of the segregated cels in the

Shadow Force sector. Only Orion has the capability to

override the passcodes there but the malfunctions have

frozen him out.”

Menace’s gut turned queasy. “I need to see her. I

need to get her an attorney.”

“You can’t.” Vicious wouldn’t meet his gaze. “You

“You can’t.” Vicious wouldn’t meet his gaze. “You

can’t do anything for her anymore.”

“What?” Cold crept up his neck. “Why not?”

“They severed your bond yesterday afternoon. She’s

in legal limbo at the moment. She isn’t one of us and

she’s no longer a citizen of Calyx. I don’t even know

what rights she has but I’ve got my legal team looking

into it. This terrorism charge complicates things even

further.”

Menace felt as though he might puke. “Vicious, this

isn’t right. How the hel can Terror just railroad us like

this? The evidence he presented to me in that

interrogation room looked impressive but my lawyer is

right. It’s al circumstantial. They can’t prove Naya has

ties to anything criminal.”

“They don’t have to,” Vicious said. “Terror’s position

is bolstered by the recent changes to our laws. The

Shadow Force can hold suspected enemy combatants

for six months without charging them.”

“Six months?” The bottom dropped out of his

stomach. He didn’t even want to imagine the horror she

would endure in that amount of time. “Vicious, I made a

mistake yesterday. I have to talk to her and apologize. I

mistake yesterday. I have to talk to her and apologize. I

have to make this right.”

“Menace, I want to help you. I’m doing everything I

can to—”

The door to Vicious’ office burst open and Halie

stormed into the room. The general’s secretary was two

steps behind her. “Ma’am, you can’t just barge in here!

You have to folow the proper procedure.”

Halie pinned the young soldier with a glare. “You can

stuff your proper procedures where the sun don’t shine.”

She pointed to the door. “Now get the hel out!”

The secretary didn’t linger. He beat a hasty retreat and

closed the door. The furious little sprite turned her gaze

on her husband. “What have you done?”

“Good morning to you too, Kitten.”

“Don’t ‘Kitten’ me, Vicious!” Halie’s hands were

drawn into tight fists. She was shaking with anger—and

fear. “Am I next?”

Menace watched his friend’s face contort with

confusion. Vicious walked around the side of his desk.

“Halie, what are you talking about?”

“I know what happened to Naya.” She wiped at the

tears now dripping down her face. “I know what you did

tears now dripping down her face. “I know what you did

to her. I’m not stupid, Vicious. I can read the writing on

the wal.”

“You are not stupid.” Vicious caressed her face.

“There is no writing on the wal, Halie.”

“Don’t lie to me!”

Menace hated to interrupt the couple’s tiff but he

needed answers. “Who told you Naya was arrested?”

Halie narrowed her dark eyes at him. “She told me

herself.”

Menace reeled with shock. “They let you see her?”

Halie shook her head. “She sent me a message. It

arrived twenty minutes ago but the time stamp was from

last night. I got the warning loud and clear.”

Vicious stiffened. “What warning?”

“That she’s been compromised and I’m not safe.”

“Compromised?” Vicious cupped Halie’s face. “Do

you know something about Naya’s activities with the

Splinters?”

“Is that why she’s being persecuted?” Halie gripped

her husband’s wrists. “Naya is no more a terrorist than I

am. Anyone who thinks that our work with the Red

Feather was in any way connected to the Splinter cel on

Feather was in any way connected to the Splinter cel on

Calyx is crazy.”