In the Devil's Nebula (Phoenix Adventures #2) (6 page)

Okay, he wanted to change the subject. Fine.
“Keep them.”

“Why a bird of prey?”

She shrugged. “A bird of prey is a favorite
icon in the Assassin’s Guild. They’re the ultimate predator, no one
sees them coming.” But even as the words were out, she knew they
were a lie. That silver bird had called to her and she wasn’t
exactly sure why. “And something else about the bird and talons
called to me.”

He slipped the birds away. “So, you’re an
assassin and good at sneaking. How do we get into this asteroid
base?”

Ria focused on the new topic. “Best way is
to use the utilities. Power, water, drainage.”

“Excellent idea.” A tiny smile quirked his
lips. “I’ll have BEll pull what she can find, but I’m guessing it
won’t be much.”

“We’ll need a distraction. Something to keep
them busy while we’re sneaking in.”

Now he smiled, full and true. “The Phoenix
brothers are experts at distraction.”

Ria was blinded by his smile.
Wasn’t that
the truth.

“There it is.”

Zayn called out to the others, watching the
wide asteroid cloud coming into view. His hands flew over the
control panel. He was most at home in his well-worn pilot’s seat
with the controls at his fingertips. It was the first time he’d
felt steady in the last twenty-four hours. Since he’d first seen
Ria’s face.

“Where’s the Tekton base?”

Her voice was in his right ear as she leaned
over his shoulder. So close he felt the warmth of her breath on his
skin. His entire body tensed. Jesus, he had no idea if he was
attracted to her for her own sake, or because she reminded him of
Vik.

“Still a ways off yet. It’s on the other
side of the cloud.” He glanced at his timepiece. “I hope Nik’s
contact comes through with the map of the Tekton base soon.”

“They will,” Nik said from the chair beside
Zayn.

“How are Dath and Eos going organizing the
distraction?” Ria asked.

Zayn adjusted the engine controls. “They’re
almost ready.” Suddenly, he felt Ria stiffen. He turned his head.
“What’s wrong?”

She was scanning the main cockpit area. “I’m
not sure…I—” she tensed even more “—someone’s here.”

Zayn looked at the empty space. “There’s no
one here but us.”

Ria launched forward, striking out with her
arm. It looked like she hit empty space, but Zayn was shocked when
the air shimmered and a black-clad figure materialized.

Son of a bitch
. He surged out of the
chair and Niklas did the same. There was no way anyone could get on
a ship moving at interstellar speed undetected. And no way Zayn or
BEll could have missed it.

Ria kicked out at the infiltrator, her moves
fluid and power-packed. But the tall, black figure covered in light
body armor moved with its own deadly moves.

They grappled with each other, spinning
around, before Ria managed to tackle the intruder. They rolled
across the floor.

Damn it, Ria was going to get hurt. Zayn
moved closer and when he got the chance, he grabbed Ria from behind
and yanked her up. Nik grabbed the intruder, his arms wrapped tight
around a slim torso.

“What the hell are you doing?” Ria struggled
against Zayn.

Now was not the time, but his mind recorded
every brush of her body against his. “Saving you from a nasty
injury.”

“What?” She finally went still but her gaze
was on the figure in black.

Nik was still holding their visitor. One
hand was resting lightly around the person’s throat. “Don’t
move.”

“Or what?” The voice was an eerie electronic
sound through the armor helmet.

Nik touched a button on the side of the
helmet and it retracted. “No games, Nera.”

Ria blinked. “Nera? Nera Darc?”

“In the flesh, unfortunately.” Zayn still
couldn’t believe such a black-hearted and sneaky treasure hunter
could be so incredibly beautiful. A flawless face was dominated by
eyes the color of a multihued nebula. Her hair was short and
platinum blonde. “How the hell did you get on the ship?”

The tiniest smile tugged at full lips.

Zayn scowled. “BEll, any record of her
entry?”

“Nothing.” BEll sounded peeved.

Darc gripped one of Nik’s arms and her gaze
moved over Ria and then Zayn. “You hanging out with assassins
now?”

“None of your business,” Nik growled.

“Fine.” She tilted her head back. “I got
your message. You want to infiltrate the Tekton base.”

Dathan and Eos rushed into the room, both
pulling up short. Dathan cursed and skewered his older brother with
a sharp glare. “You fucking contacted Darc?”

Nik’s face was impassive. “She’s been in the
Tekton base.”

“And I have a map. Including their
utilities. I recorded it during my previous…visit.”

Zayn swallowed a snort. No doubt the Tekton
had been missing something valuable after Darc’s visit.

“I can’t guarantee they haven’t changed or
upgraded anything. It’s been a year since I was there.”

They needed the map. Anything was better
than going in blind. But Zayn was worried. “What’s it going to cost
us?”

Darc’s face was empty of emotion but he
swore he sensed satisfaction from her. “Nothing. Yet.” She pulled
against Nik’s hold. “If you can bring yourself to let me go, I’ll
upload the map.”

Nik’s scowl deepened. After a few humming
seconds, he released the treasure hunter.

Darc stalked to the holo-table and pressed a
finger to the surface. “I have an integrated chip. Computer, access
file TEK451-2.”

“My name is BEll, you scum-of-the-galaxy
bitch.”

Darc raised a brow. “Even your computer has
attitude. Figures.”

A sniff from BEll. “File accessed and
copied.”

Darc nodded. “Fine—” there was a zapping
sound and she jerked her hand away, shaking it. “Now who’s a
bitch?”

“BEll, enough,” Nik said. “Is the map
there?”

“Yes,” BEll answered.

Dathan moved forward. “I can’t believe you
want nothing. You’re the most mercenary person in the entire
galaxy.”

“You need to get out more, Phoenix.”

“I don’t lower myself into the scum like you
do.”

Darc’s face hardened. “You know nothing
about me. But you’re right about one thing, I do want something in
return for the map.” She turned to Niklas. “You’ll owe me. Just
you. I’ll collect the debt when I’m ready.”

“No.” Zayn surged forward. “We’re all part
of this hunt. We’ll all owe you.”

“You have nothing I want, Commander. Your
brother will pay the debt.”

Nik nodded. “Fine.”

Zayn launched into an argument as did
Dathan.

But Niklas kept his gaze on the tall
treasure hunter. “I’ll show you out.”

Darc gave a small nod. “I’d wish you luck
raiding the Tekton base, but I don’t think you’d take it.” She
moved toward the door, Nik following her.

“I hope he helps her out the nearest
airlock,” Dathan said darkly.

Zayn pushed his worry aside. Nik was a big
boy. “Let’s look at this map. We’ll be coming into range of the
Tekton base soon.”

***

“That’s the Tekton asteroid there.” Zayn
pointed out the cockpit screen to a big sucker of a rock that made
the others look like specks of dust. “I’ll let them know we’re
coming shortly.”

“And I’ll go in as a wealthy potential
client.” Eos moved forward. She’d already changed out of her usual
khaki pants and was draped in a sarim, the traditional dress of her
home world, Vedia. The burgundy fabric followed her curves and her
hair was piled on top of her head and threaded with colored
jewels.

“I don’t like this,” Dathan said from behind
his wife. He was wearing a black suit and had brushed his hair into
submission. Zayn goggled. Dathan rarely dressed up.

Eos turned into him. “You’re coming in as my
bodyguard.” Her face changed, turning regal and haughty. “You will
do as I say. I require a new palace and I want the best.”

Dathan snagged the fabric of her sarim and
tugged her closer. “I don’t recall this ‘do as I say’
business.”

Eos laughed and let him kiss her.

Zayn looked over at Ria. “Well, our entrance
won’t be so grand.”

Ria shrugged, her gaze still lingering on
the couple. “Not the first time I’ve snuck into a place through a
sewer.”

“Okay, let’s get this mission rolling.” Zayn
touched the controls and put the call through to the Tekton.

Twenty minutes later, he was setting the
Infinitas
down through the blue shimmer of a huma-dome and
onto the landing pads of the Tekton asteroid. Through the
synth-glass cockpit screen, he saw the Tekton base spread out
across the top of a rocky ridge. The building looked like it clung
to the rock with ease, running along the ridge like a sinuous
snake.

Eos swept out, with Dathan a brooding
presence behind her. Zayn saw a small welcoming party of Tekton
standing together. Their tall bodies were painfully thin and their
skin gray.

Once the group moved inside, Zayn stood.
“Nik, don’t wreck anything while I’m gone.”

“You’re not the only one who knows how to
fly this ship,” his older brother said.

“Yeah, but I’m the best.” Zayn turned to
Ria. “Let’s suit up.”

He led her into the armory room. Around the
walls hung various suits, weapons and equipment they used on hunts.
There were suits for bad atmosphere, light and heavy body armor,
diving suits, and environmental suits.

“Here.” He snatched an environmental suit
off the wall. “This’ll give us basic protection from anything in
the sewers.”

She nabbed it and then started to undo the
buttons on her shirt.

Zayn froze. He told himself to turn his
back, to look away, but he couldn’t.

She shrugged out of her shirt, then looked
at him. She stilled. “Sorry. In the Guild, we change and train
alongside each other all day. Privacy isn’t something that we get
much of, neither is modesty.”

“It’s fine.” God, was his voice just a
little bit high pitched? She wore a simple, fitted black tank
underneath. But damn, it molded to the curves of her breasts and
made his mouth water. He yanked his own shirt over his head.

Her eyes widened a fraction. Not as cool as
she seemed, apparently. And he was damned if that didn’t please him
just a bit. She flicked open the fly of her dark trousers and then
slowly, so slowly, skimmed them down her legs. Her long, muscled
legs. She straightened.

Their eyes met again. It no longer mattered
who she reminded him of, he was attracted to
her
. This
strong, athletic woman trying to make her own future on her own
terms.

Then she turned away and pulled on her
enviro suit. With an eye roll to the ceiling, Zayn did the same.
Time to focus on the job, otherwise he could get them both
killed.

“I have Darc’s map uploaded to my
mini-Sync.” Ria finished attaching the device to her wrist. Then
she held something out to him. “Here.”

A small laser pistol.

“It’s easy to use, powerful despite its
size.” She’d already tucked hers onto a small catch at her
waist.

“No, thanks.” He fitted his favorite
T’norian knife into his boot. It was made from a heavy black metal,
with a curved blade. “I don’t carry guns.”

“Because of Vik.”

His heart gave a kick. He turned toward the
door. “Let’s go.”

They snuck out the bottom hatch of the
Infinitas
. Using the hull of the ship for cover, they crept
toward the area where their study of Darc’s map had shown an
entrance to the sewer system.

“There it is.” Zayn crouched and pulled out
a tiny gray box. He held it over the heavy metal grate and
activated the mini-magna lift. The hatch hit the magnet with a
clunk. Zayn maneuvered it out of the way. “Ladies first.”

“Yeah, thanks.” Ria peered into the hole,
then gripped the sides and lowered herself in.

Zayn followed. He was surprised to find the
place didn’t reek. Ria flicked on an ion light on her
mini-Sync.

The tunnel wasn’t quite tall enough for them
to stand up in. It was also dry. No sewage.

“It’s not being used anymore,” he said.

“It’s probably been upgraded.” Ria’s face
looked different in the shadows. Less like Vik’s. “Let’s just hope
they haven’t blocked the system off.” She glanced at the map on her
wrist. “This way.”

They started down the twists and turns. They
moved to the end of the tunnel and saw it blocked by a vertical
metal grate.

“Shit.” Zayn tested the bars. They were
welded on.

“No problem.” Ria pulled a slim device off
her belt and fired up a small laser torch. It took her a few
minutes to remove two bars. Enough for them to slide through.

In the next tunnel, a small river of sludge
moved through the tunnel. It had a vague fluorescent green tinge to
it.

Zayn frowned. “Doesn’t look good.”

Ria was frowning too. “It doesn’t smell
though.” She crouched and snatched up a tiny bit of dislodged
concrete. She tossed it into the sludge.

The fragment hissed and sizzled as it hit.
It slowly dissolved away.

“Shit. Pun intended,” Zayn said.

“Will the suits hold up?”

“Yeah. For a while as least.”

“Then we’d better be fast, flyboy.”

“I like to go fast. Let me go first.” Zayn
waded out, waiting to see if he was about to lose a limb. “Come on
in, water’s fine.”

She grinned, her teeth white in the
darkness. “Let’s go steal some blueprints.”

They made their way through the tunnels,
wading through sludge that was, at times, waist deep. Zayn wondered
if he imagined the heat growing on his suit.

“I think this is it.” Ria pointed.

A small arched doorway was set into the
wall. They climbed out of the sewage and flanked the door. When
Zayn turned the handle, he was shocked to find it unlocked.
“Finally, some good luck.”