Nirro nodded, then turned to Velda and put one fist on top of the other. “You are a light of your people. I hope I will have reason to contact you when we achieve our victory.”
“I hope so, too.” Velda responded in kind, fist on top of fist.
Nirro inclined his head. “Go that way, you have ten minutes before we ‘allow’ the Cores that remain alive to escape.”
Then he and his team disappeared in the opposite direction from where he’d pointed.
Velda held the weapon she’d been given out to Ethan and he took it with a shake of his head. “I don’t know how you do it, but seriously, Velda, they are eating out of your hand.”
It was the silver balls. Velda was sure of it. They were releasing a pheromone or something. Whatever it was, it predisposed the Caruso to like her. To trust her.
Thank you, she thought.
She had the sense of pleasure and almost a flustered feeling, as if they had not expected thanks or praise.
“Time’s wasting,” Ethan said, and took two scalpels, slid them into a pocket.
Velda took the other two and they jogged down the passage toward the launch bay.
It was deserted.
The damaged runner the Caruso had used to flee from the ore ship was still parked to one side, but there was also a new Cores runner, undamaged, facing outward, as if ready to flee.
Inside, lying on the floor between the bench seats, were two bodies, both unconscious. Linao and a Cores guard Velda recognized from the group that had been looking for the box of silver balls in the damaged runner the day before.
Velda hoped they really were unconscious, because Linao would delight in pretending to be out of it and then grab them when they reached Sylvester’s ship.
Ethan must have thought the same because he crouched beside her, put a hand out to touch her neck, and then gave a nod.
The silver balls had told him she really was unconscious, Velda guessed.
Then they searched for a hiding place.
It wasn’t easy—the runner was small—but there was a storage area under the seats that was not compartmentalized, it ran from one end of the runner to the other.
Velda fit in easily, but Ethan struggled to get his shoulders through one of the many openings. He eventually made it, andshe could see from his face when he looked at her that he was very unhappy.
“I won’t be able to get out in a hurry.” He turned on his side and held the laz across his chest.
“There’s nowhere else,” she said, wriggling closer so they were head to head.
He grunted in agreement as she reached past him to pull down the flap, plunging them into darkness, and moments later they heard laz fire and shouting, and then the sound of boots running up the ramp and the whirr of engines.
Velda rested a hand on Ethan’s shoulder as the runner lurched and then took off.
They were headed for Sylvester’s ship, they were free, and they were armed.
Time to take back control.
30
Of all theways they could have landed on Sylvester’s ship, having the Caruso hand them the opportunity and covering for them was not something Ethan would have considered.
That was Velda and the magic she seemed to sprinkle around her.
She might even have sown the seeds of a cooperation treaty with the Caruso, if Nirro and his rebels managed to pull off their coup.
But first they’d have to survive Sylvester and his people.
