Shades of Dark (27 page)

I rapped my knuckles on my small console. “Gentlemen, let’s deal with this gate before we go playing with any others, okay?”

“I’m almost done logging this in,” Del said. “I won’t desert you in your time of need, darling.”

“I’m sure Mr. Sullivan is touched by your sentiments toward him,” I answered back. Marsh snickered loudly. “Just make sure we’re where we need to be when we arrive back in real time.”

He did. The
Karn
performed, if not flawlessly, very well. There were two minor course adjustments before exit—slippery space takes a liking to you and is reluctant to let go—but Del caught them, leaving Sully and me free to sweep the big wide darkness in a requisite bogey check.

We’d been cut off from the news feeds for over ten hours. We had no idea of the status of Thad or what new tricks Tage or Burke were trying now. Plus, whoever sent the
Glorious Perceiver
gunning for us had ten hours to know they failed.

They also had no idea where we were headed or where we’d come out of jump—one of the advantages of ditch-and-drop is no flight plan required—but Dock Five had to be high on their list. Acora and the Farosians had to know by now they’d lost their source in Gregor. Last official point of contact for both had been Dock Five. Acora—especially, if Tage told him that Sully was a
Ragkiri
—had to realize we could get that information from Gregor’s mind. And that a man like Sully would come after him.

Which is why I argued, without mentioning the
Ragkiril
part in front of Marsh, that we should go to Garno or even Ferrin’s first, change ships, or grab a ride on one of Chalford’s luggers to get to Dock Five. Someone—several someones—would be looking for the
Boru Karn
and, thanks to Gregor, knew many of her disguises.

They had on Narfial.

Sully took one last look at the scanner sweeps before turning the system back on auto. The big wide darkness was clear for now. He half-swiveled his chair around. “Dock Five protects their own. And we are.”

“No one stopped Lazlo from hunting you there. And no one stopped Gregor from talking to Tage’s people, to Acora.”

“Lazlo learned virtually nothing about me from anyone on Five. Trel even warned me about him. The only information Lazlo got was from Berri. She was planted there for that purpose.”

“So was Acora. He got to Gregor. No one stopped him.”

“Fivers don’t stop you, angel. They just don’t help you if you’re not one of their own. And we don’t know for sure where Gregor and Acora met up the first time. Dock Five might only be the most recent info drop.”

You should have been able to get that information, Gabriel. Next time, you will.

I glanced at Del. He smiled lazily. I looked back at Sully. “I just think a little caution is advisable.”

“Advice noted.”

“Yes, I know.” I saw the familiar smug smile on Sully’s face. “You rarely listen to your advisers.”

“Acora knows what Tage is planning, I’m sure of it. If we give him too much time, Chaz, he’ll go deep and we’ll never find him.”

Del leaned one elbow on the arm of his chair.” We’re not in a position to make a direct move on Tage or Burke.” He splayed a hand toward me. “They’re too well protected. They’re like the top of the tree. The best way to get them is to start chopping at the roots.”

“I understand, but—”

The data beacon signal sounded. I glanced down, tapped it, opening the news-feed grab. Marsh rose.

“I’d liked to send those notes to my mother as priority. I’ll pay—”

Sully waved his hand, halting Marsh’s words. “Send them double-priority. And I’ll pay. Your family needs to hear that you and Dorsie are safe. That’s most important.”

Marsh swallowed hard, saying nothing for a moment. “Sully, thanks. I mean that. This is…a really tough time right now.”

I shoved my unfastened safety strap behind me. “I’ll handle that for Marsh when I upload the feeds.”

“Sit, Chaz,” Sully said, then nodded at Marsh. “Marsh knows how to send a transmit. We have to finish this discussion because we have a course change coming up. If we’re altering our plans, I need to know now.”

I knew that. “But—”

“Chasidah.” Del leaned forward, elbows on his thighs, expression earnest. “The trail to Tage and Burke is far more useful than either Tage or Burke at this point. I can guarantee you both men have insulated themselves well. Look at how this Lazlo was never connected to Burke but written off as a renegade terrorist because Marker security handled the incident, and Tage is their boss, though obliquely. Plus you went too high up the tree. Your best evidence is dead.

“You should have taken Lazlo alive, worked his knowledge, recorded it. You would probably have been led to Acora. Take his knowledge, work it, record it. Terminate them both when you’re done with them—”

I shot a hard glance at Sully. “We didn’t go into this to be murderers. That’s what they are.”

“—and keep moving up the tree until you have Tage and Burke trapped on top, without support from below. The only thing they can do then is fall. And it’s a long way down.”

“It’s a terrific theory, Del. But sometimes events don’t play out exactly that way. And we weren’t in a position to kidnap and torture Lazlo to get information out of him.”

It’s not exactly torture, Chasidah. I’ve always left them smiling.

I shut my eyes, turning my face away from Del as his words soured in my stomach. And I felt a twinge of anguish from Sully. I was rejecting Del. Therefore I was rejecting him.

“Sully,” I said quietly, but his mouth was already a grim line.

“Sullivan,” Marsh said and his mouth too was a grim line. He stood in the doorway to the ready room, shoulders stiff, hands fisted at his waist as if he wanted to fight. Or run.

God, no. Not more jukors, more people dead. It was the only thing I could think of, but then Sully and Del were rising.

“Sit down, Ganton,” Sully ordered, stepping toward him. “We’re not going to hurt you. We need to talk about this.”

Marsh was shaking his head. He stared at Sully, something wild and fearful in his eyes, his mouth twisting as he spat out the word. “Mind-fucker.”

Oh, God. The news feed. No. Not now.

I heard Sully exhale a hard breath, felt fear and anger race through his mind. Then it stilled. He was silent, controlled.

“A mind-fucker who is trying to shut down the people who killed your father, yes.” Sully slowed in his steps, his voice firm, almost emotionless. “A mind-fucker who is willing to risk his life so no more innocents have to die. That’s exactly what I am. Now sit down.”

“You made us think it was Ren, and then you made us think Ren was harmless. And then you bring him on board.” Marsh jerked his chin at Del. “What are we, Sullivan, your stupid puppets?”

“It’s not like that.”

“What is it like? What in hell did you do to Gregor and Aubry? They never sold you out to the Farosians, did they? That’s a lie. You wanted them off the ship because they’d know what he was. Because they knew what you are!”

My chair squeaked as I pushed it around to the left. “Marsh, if you don’t want to listen to Sully, then listen to me. Gregor did sell us out to the Farosians and to Tage. I saw the archivers he used. I found those snoopers. If you want to see them, I’ll show you.”

“God, Chasidah.” Marsh was shaking his head again. “He’s got you brainwashed. The news explained that, that he’s controlling you. That he’ll kill you.”

“Sully’s not controlling me,” I said softly.

“He is. Even your brother said he is.”

Thad. I could imagine what Thad said, or how Tage used what Thad knew. “Thad lied,” I told Marsh. “Or they made him lie. Did the news article say anything about his working with Darius Tage?”

A very slight nod from Marsh.

“You know they’ve got him in lockup. They’re threatening him with treason. He’ll say whatever he needs to in order to save his life.” Including risk mine.

Do you need him?
This from Del to Sully as I talked to Marsh.
How critical is he to the operation of this ship? You or I could handle his duties.

Images flashed. Ugly ones.

“No!” I didn’t think. I acted. I lunged to my feet, swinging to my right to face Del. The Grizni snapped into my waiting hand. “This is my ship, Regarth. Power down or get off my bridge.”

Del regarded me through narrowed eyes as if he were amused. Or annoyed. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Marsh back up a step. He couldn’t know what Del said, but he knew something was very wrong.

Sully moved toward me, motioning Del away.

“I’ll handle this,” he said. “Chasidah.” He reached for me, palm up, his expression gentle but insistent.
Ky’sara-mine. Not this way.

I shifted my stance slightly and held the knife between us. I imagine the look on my face was not unlike my expression just before I shot him two shipdays earlier.

Back off, Gabriel. He wants Marsh. He’s not getting him.

“Marsh,” Sully said, never taking his dark gaze off me, “I can explain everything. If you don’t like what you hear, you and Dorsie are free to go at the next port or dock. Year’s pay. Full docs. That’s a promise. But you need to sit down and listen. Please. Or I think my wife is going to stab me. And obviously, if I was controlling her, that wouldn’t be a pressing issue at this moment.”

Marsh moved again but toward me, slowly. I felt Del’s and Sully’s attention shift, felt the
Kyi
’s power almost roiling beneath Del’s skin. Sully’s pulsed and simmered. The energy was angry, demanding release.

“Captain Bergren,” Marsh said quietly. “Can you hand me your gun? Or will they stop you?”

“I would not recommend that action,” Del said evenly.

“Advice noted,” I snapped. I switched the dagger to my left hand—I’d trained with both and Sully knew it—and drew my Stinger out of the holster at my hip. For a moment my hand froze, my shoulder locking, unable to move.

Regarth!
Sully growled out his name.

My arm moved again. “The man’s afraid,” I said to Sully, as if nothing had happened, as if Del hadn’t locked my body against my will. “For good reason. He wants a little security. He’s entitled to it. But on one condition. You listening, Marsh?”

“Yes, Captain.”

“Do not shoot Sullivan without asking me first.”

“Understood, Captain.”

“Thanks for including me under your veil of protection,” Del said dryly.

I slanted him a withering glance. “Sit.” It sounded as if I were talking to a dog. I wanted it to. The man could kill me, easily. I’d watched Sully force Gregor to almost slit his own throat. But this was my bridge, goddammit. My crew. I would not be cowed, and if His Royal Fucking Highness took offense at that, so be it. I have a long memory. I’d see him in hell.

Del shrugged, elegantly, and sat back down at nav.

I looked at Sully. “You too.”

“I’m on your side, Chaz.”

“Prove it.”

He sat.

Marsh, standing beside me, was breathing heavily. I flicked the pistol to stun and passed it to him.

“I’ll start,” I said as Marsh palmed the gun. “And I don’t blame you for not believing any of us. Hell, I’m not sure I can even comprehend everything that’s happened to me in the past few months. But what I’m going to tell you is the truth, what I know about Sully, how I found out.”

I told him how Sully wiped the memories of Kingswell and Paxton on the
Meritorious
so we could escape, how he’d breathed for Ren so he could live, how he impossibly transported us up the center core of Marker when Berri could have killed us. How he’d saved Philip’s life, knowing he could lose me as a result. How he’d nullify his abilities with copious amounts of honeylace because he hated what he was. And how Gregor and Aubry almost killed him when he couldn’t defend himself.

I told him how I’d feared Sully but loved him anyway. And yes, I was his
ky’sara.
But he was
ky’sal
to me. The risk was far greater to him. And Marsh could find documentation supporting that in any number of scholarly files on
Kyi-Ragkirils
.

Sully had been leaning forward, forearms on his knees, hands clasped, watching me through my entire recitation. Our mental link was silent but not shut down. His emotions surged and ebbed like a storm tide, from fear to hope and back again.

When I finished speaking, he cleared his throat. “Marsh, I’ve lied to you for years. For that I apologize. But for all those years, I was what I am now. You think I’ve controlled you. You worry I might kill you. But we’ve had some differences before. Major ones. You’ve taken a few swings at me. On Ferrin’s, you even knocked me on my ass. Until I knocked you on yours.” He paused. “You’re still alive.”

“Yeah, but now I know what you are.”

“Evidently, so does most of civilized space, thanks to…let me guess. CCNN?”

Marsh nodded.

“If you don’t want to work for a known
Ragkiril,
I accept that. But I can’t change what I am. I can only try to use what I am to make a difference, just as I always have. To stop people like Tage from destroying the rim worlds, from killing Verno’s people and yours.”

“Does Verno know…?”

“You and Dorsie are the only ones who didn’t.”

“Gregor and Aubry, they found out the hard way.”

“They gave me no choice.”

“Like now?”

Del shifted in his chair, drawing one leg up, ankle resting on his knee, elbow on the chair’s armrest. The pose was languid. This was not a life-or-death matter. It was just another topic to get out of the way. “Consider this, Mr. Ganton. The man you are contemplating rejecting—and yes, he is quite human, not a Stolorth doing some fancy shape-shifting trick—is willing to risk his own life to avenge the death of your father. Can you show me another of your own kind, other than the enticing and spirited Captain Bergren here, who is willing to do that? For you, the baseborn son of an impoverished fruit picker?”

“You have such a way with words, Regarth,” I snapped.

A dark blue gaze that glittered with the mystery of exotic oceans turned to me. Then his lashes dropped seductively. “And you have a fire deep within that is positively enchanting.” He turned to Sully. “Let me again compliment you on your choice for a
ky’sara.
”