They both lifted their hands and backed up, and he stood, pointing it at them as if he was weighing up whether he could get away with shooting them anyway.
The whole ship shuddered, and he turned to look down the passage.
Ethan didn’t second guess himself this time. He leaped straight at the guard, slamming his elbow into the side of his neck and twisting the laz out of his grasp in the same maneuver.
The guard fell, and Ethan turned and shot him before he hit the floor.
“Wow.”
He looked over at Velda, who was standing in the passage in front of the now closed cell, eyes wide.
“Would it be inane to admit that really did it for me?” She winked at him and waved her hand as if to cool herself down.
He couldn’t help the laugh that escaped from his throat. This woman just kept delighting him. “Where to? You’re the one who’s had the chance to look around.” He hefted the laz, which was way bigger than any issued by the Verdant String Coalition, and checked the passage for incoming guards.
So far, they were clear.
“I’ve only been taken to the one room, that way.” She pointed to the right. “I don’t think they’d expect us to be there, so it’s as good a choice as any to hide in and I don’t think it’s got any visual comms installed. They received messages through a knock on the door.”
That was interesting. It might mean it was more likely a private conference room than an interrogation room, and therefore more likely to be used, but any other place they chose to hide would be a risk, anyway.
“Lead the way.” He followed her, checking their back regularly. Velda had told him about the dim lighting, and like her, he wondered about the reason behind it.
“Was it like this before?” he murmured as she peered around a corner and then signaled him that the way was clear. “More or less deserted?”
“Yes.” She glanced back at him. “I wondered about that myself.”
She stopped in front of a door and waited for him to get in position with the laz, in case there was someone inside. Then she tried to open it.
It didn’t budge.
The ship made a strange groaning sound as she tried again, and she froze.
They exchanged looks.
“That didn’t sound good,” she said.
The floor seemed to buck under their feet, and they were both thrown against the wall.
He’d been expecting something to happen ever since Linao had staged her escape. Guess he was right about her receiving a message in her chat with her father.
It looked like the Cores were out to get daddy’s little girl back.
25
Linao was being rescued again.
Velda wondered what this was costing the Cores, but obviously it was worth it to someone to get her back.
Even if it was just because she was Sylvester’s daughter.
She had nerve, though. Velda would give her that. And a certain ability to skirt consequences.
The mothership groaned again, and then went silent. Velda looked up at the ceiling.
“What do you want to do?” she asked.
Ethan began down the corridor. “Let’s keep going, and keep trying doors along the way.”
