Codename: Night Witch (30 page)

"This isn't exactly keeping a low profile, you know," Suko said as the crowd around Sigrid continued to grow and the murmurs rose in volume.

"I know. But I couldn't exactly leave them behind. Not with those pirates."

"No," Suko said with a grin, as she kissed her on the cheek. "No, I don't suppose you could."

Victoria seemed less amused. "Taking these people with us will greatly increase our chance of being detected. They are a liability. We should leave them here."

"We're not
leaving
anyone," Sigrid said, hushing her.

But it was too late. The crowd heard Victoria's words and they didn't hesitate to voice their alarm or their fear at being left behind.

"Now, quiet down, all of you!" Sigrid raised her hands, doing her best to hush them all. "Quiet. Please!"

"Please don't leave us!" someone shouted, and others joined the chorus. "Help us!"

"Hush now. No one's leaving anyone. I won't abandon you. I promise. These people are my friends, and they're here to help. We're all getting out of here together. But the Crossroads is still several days' march away. That means you'll all do well to get as good a night's sleep as possible. We
will
get out of here. Together. But not tonight. We'll leave in the morning at first light."

Her words seemed to help, at least some, and the group of refugees slowly calmed. Some of them began to walk back to their spots. Others stayed close to her, unable to pry themselves away, perhaps fearing she might disappear again.

"This Crossroads of yours is nearly three hundred kilometers away," Suko said in a hushed voice so low only Sigrid could hear. "They're never going to make it."

"I know," Sigrid said.

"They'll die out here, Sigrid."

"Suko, I won't abandon them—"

"I know." Suko gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "But they'll need food. And something more than a few blankets to keep them warm."

"I know. I should have taken more from the Merchantmen."

"Don't torture yourself. You rescued these people. You gave them a chance, just like you always do. You did well, Sigrid."

Perhaps, Sigrid thought. Though perhaps not well enough.

Suko turned and signaled to Victoria, who fell in behind her.

"Wait!" Sigrid said in a loud whisper. "Where are you going?"

Suko turned back and gave her a wink. "Like I said, they're going to need food. There's plenty of food in these woods, amongst other things. If you know where to look. Don't worry, we'll be back soon. You're not alone anymore."

It was with mixed emotions that Sigrid watched Suko and Victoria depart. They'd only just found each other and now she was gone.

Without Suko, the camp was strangely quiet. She almost ran after her, not to help forage, but simply to have Suko back at her side—and to know that she hadn't imagined her.

But these were foolish, even selfish thoughts. She had her own work to do. These people still needed her. And so with Suko and Victoria otherwise occupied, Sigrid took a quick tour of the camp, taking stock of their scant supplies and the condition of the escapees.

It was becoming clear she'd left them in good hands. Nuria's brother, Hector, had done a masterful job. Three stolen tin pots sat bubbling on small fires, providing clean drinking water. Those in most need had blankets; others had jackets to keep them warm. The comfort girls were doing as well as could be expected, which wasn't well at all. They lay clustered together, shivering under Nuria's watchful care.

By the time she finished her rounds, the excitement had died down. Most of the refugees were asleep. Even Victoria had returned; she was off with Niklos, tending to the sentries and their watch.

Suko, however, was still gone.

She was about to ask Victoria where she was when she noticed Suko's transponder. Suko had left her communications module open, allowing Sigrid to track her. And while no answers came in response to any of her queries, a single blip flashed in her HUD, three-point-six kilometers south-southeast.

What on Earth?

With a sigh, Sigrid started off after her. It was going to be a long night.

~ - ~

The nearly full moon was at its zenith and the skies were mostly clear overhead. More than enough light for Sigrid to see by. Twice, she tried to call her, but for whatever reason, Suko wasn't answering.

Why Suko had disappeared wasn't too much of a mystery. Suko wasn't one for crowds or parties or chitchat. She preferred solitude, and standing still simply wasn't an option.

Still,
where
Suko had gotten to was another matter.

The answer came as Sigrid crested a rise overlooking a valley below. In the middle of the valley, surrounded by the crumbling remnants of roads overgrown by grass and trees, was a factory. Probably an old mill or maybe a textile works. It was hard to tell. It didn't look like it had been used in years. Parts of the perimeter wall lay smashed and crumbling, blasted from the inside out. Even the tenement buildings that once housed tens of thousands of the indentured workforce were burned to the ground, more signs of the workers' rebellion and insurrection against their masters.

And somewhere down there, for whatever reason, was Suko.

Moving quickly, Sigrid made her way down the hill. The ghostly sight of the guard towers gave her pause, but the smashed security gates admitted her without delay. It didn't take her long to find Suko. Her signal was strong and it wasn't moving. She found her in the factory's abandoned motor pool.

Peering through the wide hangar-like doors, Sigrid spied the wrecked hulks of several transport haulers. Suko was up on a work stand, bent over the engine cowling of a particularly rusted wreck. Sparks flew from an old arc welder in her hand as she worked trying to fuse together parts salvaged from the collection of wrecks around her.

"Suko, what on Earth…?"

Looking quite proud of herself, Suko turned around and smiled. "I've been arranging us some transportation. What do you think?"

"I think that thing looks like it would be of more use as a garden planter."

"Ye of little faith. Come on, give me a hand."

Sigrid climbed the work stand, coming to stand next to her. Suko was hot, sweating and covered in filthy grease, yet Sigrid didn't think she'd ever looked so handsome. She was busy pounding a wrench against a pressure manifold that didn't want to cooperate, causing her muscles to flex taut.

"Here. Hold this," Suko said, handing her the wrench. "When I give the signal, hold that bolt in as hard as you can. Whatever you do, don't let it turn."

She didn't wait for an answer as she shifted past Sigrid on the narrow stand. There was plenty of room to get by her, yet Suko seemed to make a point of brushing against her as she climbed over the cowling and into the cockpit.

"Ready?" Suko said.

"For what?" Sigrid answered.

"This."

The transport didn't look like it had been used in a decade. It was sunk low into the ground, looking more like some ancient relic than the powerful beast of burden it once was. Yet when Suko fed power to the engine core, there came a subtle stirring of life. Suko brought the computer online first, allowing her to interface with the transport's systems directly, guiding it methodically through the delicate start-up procedure until, in one billowing eruption of power, the transport rumbled fully awake, like some great monolithic beast coming back from the dead.

Looking quite pleased with herself, Suko slid back down the ladder to stand by Sigrid.

"Impressed?" Suko said.

"Suko…" Sigrid shook her head. "Suko, you're amazing. You didn't have to do this."

"Of course I did," she said, moving closer until Sigrid felt herself pressed up against the safety rail of the work stand. She stood there for a moment, grinning and staring down at her while she worked to clean the grease from her hands and arms with a rag. "I know you, Sigrid Novak. You're not about to abandon those people back there. But if we're going to get them to these Crossroads, we need transportation. I did a scan of the area, saw this factory, and I thought I'd take a chance."

"I'm glad you did. Though I'm not sure how we're all supposed to fit."

"Don't worry. There's like forty-seven logging trailers parked out back. I figured we could hook one of them up and cart everyone out of here."

"Looks like you thought of everything."

"Of course. It's me! Come on, there's something I want to show you."

Taking her by the hand, Suko led her up into the cab of the transport. She took a moment to switch off the hauler's power to preserve its scant supply. Then, she slid the rear panel to the cab's sleeping compartment aside. Like all long-haul transports, this one sported a pair of narrow sleeping bunks, one directly above the other, for the transport's driving crew.

"What's this?" Sigrid said, with interest.

"I thought you could use a bed. A real bed."

"Why, Ms. Tansho…" Sigrid sat daintily on the edge of the mattress, as if to test it out. "To think you had me thinking you were arranging us transportation when, all this time, you've been constructing a
shaggin' wagon.
I think that's the proper historic term."

Suko rolled her eyes.

"You know, if all you wanted was to get into my knickers, you didn't have to go to all this trouble."

Without warning, Sigrid grabbed Suko by the hand, pulling her down on top of her, where she instantly bombarded Suko with a wave of hurried kisses.

"Hang on. Wait. Sigrid, hold on. Will you—oh, for goodness' sakes!" She had to pin her wrists down to the mattress to keep her from tearing her clothes off her.
"Wait, Sigrid! I was
trying
to suggest you get some sleep."

"Sleep comes after. I thought you knew that."

"I'm serious. When was the last time you slept? And I'm not talking about getting knocked unconscious or blasted by shotguns. Yes, I
have scanned
your activity logs! I know what you've been up to. You haven't had a real night's sleep since you escaped. You're exhausted. You
need
to sleep. You won't be good to anyone without it. You're making mistakes."

The last part stung. She was right, and Sigrid knew it. "You're serious, aren't you?"

"Victoria and I should never have been able to corral you in the woods like that. You're slipping."

"Well, if I am making mistakes, it's not for lack of sleep. Suko, I didn't know if you were alive or dead. I was beside myself!"

"Well, I'm not dead. I'm here. And I'm worried about you. You drive yourself too hard. You always have."

Giving a low half-groan, half-growl, Sigrid rolled off her, collapsing to the side. "Oh, perhaps you're right. Maybe I do need sleep. But we should go back to the camp. They'll be worried."

"They won't. I told Victoria you'd stay the night. She'll keep an eye on them. Besides, those people won't leave you be. You need a solid night's sleep—
undisturbed
. You're sleeping here."

"Well if I am sleeping here, then you are too. Here. Come over by me. Like that."

"No, I should keep working on the truck. She'll need new tires and—"

"We'll fix them in the morning. Now lie down next to me. Stop struggling."

"Sigrid—"

"Look, you can't expect me to sleep here by myself. Not after everything. If you're not here next to me, I'll toss and turn all night. You know I will. And you
know
how well I sleep when you're next to me."

"Yes…" Suko said dubiously. "I do."

"Like a baby."

"Hah!"

"I'll be good."

"You? You'll be good?"

Sigrid held up three fingers in an ancient long-forgotten salute. "I will. I promise."

With a long sigh, Suko relented, sliding in next to her. "Fine. But this is so you'll sleep."

Sigrid beamed gleefully as she snuggled in. For Sigrid, it might have only been five days, but it felt like a lifetime since she'd had Suko next to her. To be able to touch her skin, smell her hair, and know that this time it was real was the greatest gift of all, and she wanted to cherish each and every moment.

"What are you doing?" Suko said.

"You don't expect me to sleep in this old coat, do you?"

"No," Suko said cautiously. "I suppose not."

Sitting up, Sigrid pulled the zipper of the stolen Merchantman coat slowly down. It was bulky and heavy. Sigrid let it slip from her shoulders to reveal her torn and filthy nightgown underneath.

"There." Sigrid shook out her tangled mess of hair and letting it cascade over her shoulders. "Much better."

"You're wearing a nighty. How in the hell did you end up out here wearing only your jarmies? Wait. Maybe I don't want to know."

"It's a, um, a long story," Sigrid said, twirling a lock of hair between her fingers.

"It always is with you. Now
go to sleep!
Or I will program your PCM myself."

"Yes, mistress." Snuggling next to her, she looped a knee between Suko's legs, pulling her closer.

"Sigrid—"

"Don't fuss. You're cold. I'm warming you. That's all."

"I don't get cold."

"Then I'm cold."

"You don't get cold either."

"Then we'll both not be cold together. Now hush. We're supposed to be sleeping."

Suko closed her eyes and settled against her. Sigrid's eyes, however, remained wide open. She wanted to look upon Suko. At least for a little longer. Sigrid knew every square millimeter of Suko's body, but she was taken aback to see the dozens of new scars. The scarring was subtle—probably invisible to a normal human eye, especially here in the dark. But Sigrid's optics, her subdermal scans, told a different story: the wounds had been severe, several of them life-threatening. Whatever had happened to Suko these past six years, it couldn't have been easy. Sigrid wondered if maybe she had been the lucky one. She had only been looking for Suko for a matter of days, but for Suko, it had been much, much longer.

Sigrid let the tip of her finger trace a particularly long scar that ran from Suko's shoulder to her elbow.