Bailey shook his head. "You know I can't make a decision like that." He took a deep breath. "But then, I'm your prisoner, aren't I? Prisoners never get to make their own decisions."
"I understand," Skyler said quietly. Reaching into his belt, he withdrew a hypospray from his medkit. "
'He is asleep.'"
Bailey's gaze drifted again toward where the bodies of Poirot and Ramirez lay. " 'Wake him,' " he murmured.
Mordecai had a pair of patches from his medkit on Galway's bleeding fingers by the time Lathe and Spadafora returned. "You all right?" Lathe asked, his eyes flicking to Taakh and then back to Galway.
"I can travel," Galway said, wincing as Mordecai helped him to his feet. "I'm just glad you got my message."
"Actually, Mordecai was already on his way back," Lathe told him. "We'd gotten a warning that no one outside could find Taakh anywhere."
So that was what had sparked Judas's sudden burst of courage. "Ah."
"I did make it a point to hurry when you leaned on the tingler, though," Mordecai added. "Speaking of which, are we taking him with us?"
"I don't know," Galway said, looking at Judas. "Karl? You want to be able to go back to what you were a year ago?"
"I don't know," the young man admitted. "It seems so utterly unthinkable." He hesitated. "But I do know I'd like to see my family again."
"Close enough," Lathe said. "I don't suppose you'd be interested in sampling freedom, Prefect Haberdae?"
"Go to hell," Haberdae snarled. "All of you can go straight to hell."
"I'd say that's a no," Spadafora murmured.
"Maybe some day," Lathe said, springing a knife and cutting Judas free from his chair. "Come on. Let's get out of here."
Full night had fallen by the time Jensen finally pulled himself up the last few rungs of the rope ladder and reached the tunnel leading out into the forest. For a minute he stood there, gazing out the air vent a dozen meters away, wondering what kind of reception Security might have left for him.
"You're late," a voice said from just inside the grating.
Jensen had a shuriken in his hand before his fatigued mind caught up with the voice. "Flynn?" he asked disbelievingly.
"You were expecting the Ryqril high command?" A long dark bundle lying at the entrance pulled itself out of the shadows and reformed itself into a human being. "Or did you just think we'd all pack up and take off without you?"
"Frankly, I'd have put the high command higher on my probabilities list than you," Jensen said, crossing to him. "You didn't come out here all alone, did you?"
"Oh, no, the whole gang was here for a while," Flynn said. He whipped something up and around, and Jensen found a blanket settling down around his shoulders. "You missed a fun party, too—Security officers, blackcollars, even a couple of Ryqril stopped by."
"Ryqril?"
"Don't worry, we dealt with them," Flynn assured him. "The khassq is dead, and the battle architect went off to deliver Lathe's ultimatum. No casualties on our side, either, now that you're here." His silhouette cocked its head slightly. "It was Toby, wasn't it?"
"You mean who wrecked the Ryqril base?" Jensen nodded. "He insisted on taking that honor for himself."
"Probably the right thing to do," Flynn said. "He was a pilot, then?"
"Lieutenant Sam Foxleigh, TDE Air Defense," Jensen confirmed. "How did you know?"
Flynn shrugged. "There was just something about him that reminded me of you."
Jensen snorted. "Bullheadedness is hardly a quality unique to pilots," he pointed out. "What did you mean, it was the right thing to do?"
"I meant that if he was a pilot, it was right for him to take on the job." Flynn hesitated. "And that it was right for you to let him take it."
Jensen grimaced. "Look, Flynn, I know some of you have been a little worried about me. When Novak died ... well, they teach soldiers to watch out for the trap of survivor's guilt, but I guess I wasn't paying enough attention that day."
He nodded back toward the mountain behind him. "But I think maybe talking with Foxleigh put it into a little better perspective. In warfare you do what you can, and you play out the hand that's been dealt you, and you don't look back. The only purpose for second-guessing is to find the mistakes you made so that you don't make them again."
"Sounds like the wise advice of a grizzled old warrior," Flynn said.
Jensen nodded. "Foxleigh was all that," he agreed.
"I meant you," Flynn said, a touch of humor coloring his voice. "I mean, it took you forever to get up that ladder."
"Watch your mouth, kid," Jensen growled, mock-warningly. "I'm not so tired I can't run you through a couple of sparring sessions."
"I'll pass," Flynn said. "Anyway, the others had to head back to Denver, but someone will be back to get us in the morning."
"Or at least to get you?"
Flynn shrugged. "I'll admit they're still mostly convinced you died in the attack," he said. "And Skyler wasn't particularly enthusiastic about letting me stick around to wait for you. But like you said, bullheadedness isn't just for pilots."
"Neither is stamina," Jensen said. "Which is just as well. Two of the techs Security sent in are still alive, but with my ribs the way they are I knew I'd never get them back here on my own."
"I can go do that now," Flynn offered. "At least get them to the bottom of the shaft so we can take them out in the morning."
"We'll go together," Jensen said, peering out into the darkness. "And before we leave this place entirely I need to stop back at Shelter Valley. I think that Doc Adamson and his son would appreciate knowing how Foxleigh died."
"Sounds good," Flynn said. "Just bear in mind you'll probably end up telling them his whole life story along with it."
The story of the man who'd lived in secret shame for thirty years ... "Not to worry," he murmured. "They already know all the rest of it."
Shaw and Caine were waiting at the rendezvous point when Galway and the others arrived. "Caine,"
Galway said, watching the younger man warily as they walked over. The last time he'd seen Caine the two of them had been enemies, and Galway had treated him accordingly.
But if Caine was holding a grudge, it didn't show in his face. "Galway," he greeted the prefect in turn.
"Welcome back to our side."
"It has been a while," Galway admitted, turning to Shaw. "Tactor," he said, nodding.
"It's good to meet you at last, Prefect," the other said. "And for you to truly meet me, as well."
Galway had to smile. The quiet, confident man standing in front of him was so very different from the picture Judas's reports had painted. "Indeed," he said.
"You have any trouble getting Caine out?" Lathe asked, stepping up beside Galway.
Shaw shook his head. "They were about as unready for trouble as it's possible for military men to be."
He nodded past Lathe's shoulder. "I see you brought his evil twin with you."
"Not evil any more," Lathe assured him. "He's had his Whiplash, and is busy regaling Mordecai and Spadafora with the details of the government center security layout. If you're interested in hitting it sometime, that is."
"I might," Shaw said, a touch of quiet pain coloring his voice. "But I lost a third of my men at Khorstron tonight, killed and wounded. I'll have to wait to see what kind of force I can put together."
"You should have Whiplashed the guards at the strongpoint after you got Caine out," Galway said.