Jeth followed Lizzie and the others out into the corridor. As Lizzie worked on overriding Avalon’s lock, Jeth kept his gaze focused on the west entrance. He thought he heard someone coming once or twice but the corridor remained empty.
As soon as the door opened, Dax led the way inside.
At first Jeth thought the bay was empty, but then he saw the old man and the four guards lying on the ground around the container they’d been escorting. They were all dead. The nearest guard had been shot through the head.
“Oh.” Lizzie covered her mouth and looked away from the gruesome sight.
“Did Sierra and Vince do this?” said Dax, whispering
Jeth shook his head. “I doubt it.”
“Then who did?” said Flynn.
“Let’s find out.” Dax glanced at Jeth. “You know this ship better than I do. What next?”
In answer, Jeth lifted his gun to the ready position and then walked cautiously toward the ladder leading up to the commons deck. He could hear the sound of raised voices ahead of him. At least one of those voices belonged to Sierra. The others were male, although no one he recognized with any certainty. Jeth tried to make out what they were saying, but couldn’t.
He motioned for the others to wait as he climbed the first few steps, then dropped to his belly as he neared the top. From that vantage point he could see into the common room. His pulse quickened as he took in the six people. One of them was Vince, lying on the ground in between the sofa and gaming table. Whether he was dead or not, Jeth couldn’t tell, but he wasn’t moving. Sierra stood not far from him, her hands above her head. Milton stood next to her in the same submissive position.
Across from them was Marcus Renford. He was accompanied by two men in plain clothes that Jeth figured were ITA soldiers, given their standard, ITA-issued guns.
Jeth eased back down the steps to the cargo bay, beads of sweat breaking out over his skin. He quickly explained the situation to the others in a low whisper.
“Liz and I can flank them from the other entrance,” Flynn said. “No offense, but we’re quieter. You and Dax can get the drop on them from here.”
“It should work,” Jeth said, nodding. “But you two stay under cover until I give the signal. Especially you.” He glared at Lizzie. She rolled her eyes, but didn’t argue.
“Let’s go,” said Dax.
Lizzie and Flynn slipped away, heading for the front ladder up to the commons deck, while Jeth and Dax crawled up the back stairs. A minute or so later, Jeth heard a single click in his ear from the communicator patch—Lizzie, telling him she was in place. Flynn signaled next. Jeth glanced behind him at Dax, who gave him the go sign. Jeth stood up, ready to charge in.
The familiar sizzling crack of a stunner being fired echoed behind him, and Dax cried out. Jeth spun around in time to see him falling backward, arms flailing. Dax landed at the bottom of the stairs with a loud thump. The shooter stood just beyond the stairs, holding a stunner aimed at Jeth.
“Throw down the gun,” the man said. Like the men with Renford, he was wearing civilian clothes. Then Jeth saw the silver badge on the man’s belt, tucked underneath his coat, confirming his suspicions.
Jeth considered trying to get a shot off until six more ITA soldiers charged into the cargo bay. Celeste and Shady were with them, both held at gunpoint. But at least they appeared all right, unlike Sergei, who was slouched between the two soldiers holding him up. Blood ran down the front of one pant leg from a gunshot wound.
Jeth heard the sounds of a struggle behind him, but he didn’t dare turn to see what was happening as he slowly bent down and placed his gun on one of the steps.
A moment later, someone prodded him from behind. “Head down the stairs.” It was the familiar voice of Marcus Renford.
Jeth did as he was told, joining Shady and Celeste, who were kneeling in a line, hands behind their heads. The soldiers forced Lizzie, Flynn, and Milton into the same position. Jeth glanced at Milton, making sure his uncle was all right. Then his eyes found Sierra standing a couple of meters away, trapped between two soldiers holding her arms. Another soldier held an unconscious Cora. Jeth tensed at the sight of her. What had they done? Was she knocked out? Dead? Jeth forced his gaze away, guilt and fear making him dizzy.
Across from him, Renford stooped and rolled Dax onto his stomach, exposing the implant buried in his skull. He shook his head, making a disgusted sound. Then he glanced at Jeth. “So, what happened to you? Last we spoke you were supposed to be waiting for my men to pick you up.”
“Yeah, well, Hammer got there first,” Jeth said.
“So I gathered.”
Jeth’s mind was working fast as he tried to figure out his next move. “But I’m not so sure I understand this hostile reception. I thought we had an agreement.”
“Ah.” A hint of a smile danced across Renford’s lips. “So, you think to come here with Hammer’s men, mount a failed assault, and then attempt to convince me that you still want to honor our deal?”
“I didn’t know it was you in here, and I didn’t have any choice about working with Hammer. Like I said, he got there first. And this is my ship. Of course I came for her.”
Across from Jeth, Sergei was glaring so hard that his face had turned red. Jeth ignored him. His plan, if they got out of this, was to tell Sergei it had just been a ploy. Unless Renford actually did honor the deal.
“Yes, I understand.” Renford’s gaze moved from Jeth to Lizzie. “And you brought your sister. Excellent.” He approached Lizzie, then bent down and lifted her chin, turning her face more fully into the light. Lizzie tried to pull away, but Renford held fast. “You look so much like your mother.”
Outrage coursed through Jeth. Nobody touched his sister, not for any reason.
Renford addressed the soldier guarding Lizzie. “We’ll take this one with us, too.” The soldier immediately sheathed his gun, then stepped forward and pulled Lizzie to her feet.
“What are you doing?” In a panic, Jeth tried to stand, but the soldier behind him pushed him down, then pressed the barrel of a gun to the back of his skull mere millimeters above the implant architecture. Agony burst over Jeth’s head.
“Stay put, or I’ll blow a hole right through you,” the soldier hissed in Jeth’s ear.
Jeth went still, but he locked his gaze on Renford. “What do you want with my sister?”
Renford shook his head. “I’m afraid that’s an explanation that would take more time than I can spare. But I am grateful you brought her to me. Of course, it would’ve been easier if I could’ve met you outside the Belgrave. I might even have decided you were worth bringing along with me, but not anymore. You’re too much trouble and not enough value. Your sisters, on the other hand. They are most definitely worth it.”
“What are you talking about?” Jeth said, convinced the man was insane. Sisters? Value?
“What’s this?” Renford glanced at Sierra, his eyebrows raised. “You didn’t tell him? About his mother? How very . . . disciplined of you.” A smile that could only be described as proud rose to his face.
Sierra went pale, then red.
“What about my mother?” Jeth demanded, glancing between the two of them.
Renford chuckled. Then he crouched down, putting his face level with Jeth’s, a delighted glint in his eyes. He was enjoying this, Jeth realized. Renford relished the power he held over him. He relished the cruelty of it. “I can’t believe I’m the one to tell you this. Quite ironic, really. But your mother is still alive, Jeth.” Renford paused, as if allowing time for his nonsensical words to sink in. “And Cora is her daughter.”