Once he’d composed himself, he called Petra.
“I need your help.”
“What’s up?”
“They released three of the people we brought in yesterday on bail because we’re surrounded by idiots. Bail has been revoked but they are spoofing their tracking signals. I need you to get someone to collect the devices and figure out where the real bracelets are.”
“Will do, boss. Anything else?”
“Has anyone retrieved the kid in Toronto yet?”
“No, not yet.”
“Then just leave him. I’m going back there. Maybe he’ll know something about where the others would go.”
“It’s worth a shot. Send me the tracking data for the spoofed devices and I’ll work on that.”
CHAPTER 54: BRITT
Petra disconnected from the call with Kane.
“Well, that’s inconvenient. Kane is also on his way to Toronto.”
“But he doesn’t know where Court is, right?” Elle asked.
“He thinks he’s still trapped in the university, but I don’t like the idea of him flying around the city while we’re there. It’s a bit close for comfort.”
“We’ll just have to be extra cautious,” Britt said.
Bear squirmed in his seat. The smart foam of Petra’s commandeered grav flyer wasn’t designed with someone his size in mind and the seat frame bit into various body parts as he shifted in search of a comfortable position.
Petra noticed. “We’re almost there. Another four or five minutes.”
Britt cradled a white box that would hold the data vault once they rendezvoused with Wilm. It looked so simple but she knew it was engineered to withstand the brutality of open space—the heat of direct sunlight, the extreme cold in the shadows, and the radiation that would fry the tiny data vault if left unprotected.
Not so long ago, Wilm was the new guy. Now he’s guarding Ainsley, Court, and a data vault that can save humanity.
Petra set the grav flyer down in the ruins of an old parking lot.
“Let’s review the plan. Britt, you go retrieve the data vault from your people here. Then we fly to the warehouse to meet Bear’s contact. I’ll hack into their security systems to keep your faces off the networked video feeds. You’ll activate the transponder and Bear’s friend will give the box to the shuttle pilot. Once that’s done, I can get those tracking bracelets off and leave you here with your friends.
“The Qyntarak collaborators will lose the bail money they fronted but they will consider that an acceptable loss if the data vault gets off planet.”
“We’ll be on the run the rest of our lives,” Bear said.
Britt reached over to squeeze his hand. “There’s still a chance it will be temporary. If the Reclamation can do some good with the data we’re sending, it will all be worth it.”
A squeeze back was his answer and she smiled, knowing he believed.
“I’m throwing out interference to local video cameras. I can safely do that for fifteen minutes in an area like this before anyone starts to care.”
Britt disembarked and saw frightened stares from the handful of people outside. They attempted to look casual as they walked away from her. She resisted the compulsion to smile.
If they only knew what was really going on here.
Despite the small number of people visible outside in the waning daylight, this was a vibrant and well-populated neighborhood by modern standards. The previous residents had been early targets for the forced expulsions and squatters had moved in over the years, eventually creating a new community complete with shops and places to eat and drink. Wilm had inherited a modest establishment from his parents after they’d been trampled to death in riots a few years earlier. Britt supposed he’d inherited their disdain for the Qyntarak as well.
The redheaded bartender took her to the basement. Inside the secure room, Wilm’s grin stretched wide across his face. He wrapped his arms around her, something she never would have allowed from her crew in the past.
“I was so scared that I wouldn’t see you again. How are the others? Where’s Bear?”
“I’m afraid I can’t stay long. Bear’s fine.”
“What about Elle?” Court asked.
To Britt’s surprise, Court looked better now than at any point in the short time she’d known him.
“She’s safe, don’t worry. We’re going to deliver the data vault and then we’ll all figure out next steps.”
“I want to go with you.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea. The more people, the more attention we can attract.”
“The only reason I’m here is to keep Elle safe while she sees this thing through. I can’t stay holed up in here.”
“We have a plan that needs four people and we already have four.”
“We both know that there’s something different about Elle. They don’t just want the data vault. They want her. I’m nobody. If there’s any risk of getting caught, you need to send me instead. Please, Britt.”
He was right, she knew. Elle was unique for reasons she didn’t understand. There was nothing remarkable about Court other than his naive bravery and good heart.
“You understand that you’ll be putting yourself at risk? If something goes wrong, we may not be able to do anything to help you. You could end up in a forced work program or even sent off planet to a red ship.”
“I know the risk.”
“With respect, I doubt that you do. You have a good soul, Court, but you’ve lived a sheltered life, and you’ve only gotten a glimpse of the suffering that happens elsewhere.”
“Those nacking monsters killed my parents, they destroyed my village, they murdered Marsh and everyone else in front of me. Don’t tell me I don’t know about suffering. Elle is where I draw the line. They can’t have her.”
Britt recognized the look of a person who’d made up their mind. She’d seen it in Bear’s eyes the day she proposed their first job. She’d seen it in Ainsley’s eyes and in Wilm’s. And she’d seen it in the mirror.
“Very well. Now, Ainsley, I’m sorry about this, but we’re going to need to get that data vault.”
“It’ll be fine. The doc gave me anesthetic and antibiotics.”
She removed the wrapping from around her knee and Wilm pressed a needle into the flesh next to her wound. He counted down from thirty and when Ainsley signaled that she was ready, he peeled back a flap of skin and removed the data vault with tweezers.
Wilm dropped it into Britt’s hand. She tried not to grimace.
“Things won’t be the same after this, Wilm. Keep your head down, keep pouring that shit beer upstairs, and keep yourself safe, alright? If the chance comes to do more, I’ll reach out to you.”
He pulled her into another hug. She felt a wet tear fall on her neck. Part of her wanted to hold on and cry herself. That would have to come later. They had a job to finish.
CHAPTER 55: ELLE
Petra opened the flyer’s hatch and motioned for them to hurry. Elle’s heart leaped when she saw Court walking back with Britt. The flyer was designed to seat four people but Court was able to squeeze in between the seats, with only Bear’s knee pressing into his ribcage.
He surprised her by taking hold of her hand. She started to bristle but changed her mind. She was relieved to see him safe and his touch was comforting.
It only took a few minutes for them to reach the warehouse. Petra handed out earpieces before they disembarked.
“These are emergency communication devices. I’m programming them to run on an encrypted, off-network, peer-to-peer protocol. That means they’ll only work if you’re within a few hundred meters of each other or the flyer. Just stick it in your ear. Hold your finger against it to talk. Tap three times to lock the mic on. Three times again to turn it off. It’s a shared audio channel so everyone will hear what everyone else says. Got that?”