“You’ll have to catch up.” There was an impatient snap in Sylvester’s voice. “I don’t have time to wait for you.”
He began to drag Velda to the door, and then suddenly, Linao was there, one hand on Sylvester’s shoulder.
Sylvester flinched, then staggered back, fetching up against the wall.
He looked down at his side and Velda saw the sudden bloom of blood.
“When do you ever wait for me?” Linao asked him. “When do you ever give a single shit?” She stabbed him again.
“Linao—” Brink hesitated, unsure what to do.
Velda almost laughed out of sheer astonishment. Talk about things going sideways. This was headed for upside down.
“Shoot her,” Sylvester ground out, bending a little.
“I can’t,” Brink said slowly. “You took my laz.”
As if suddenly realizing he had it, Sylvester fumbled with it, but before he could lift it, Linao stabbed him a third time and wrenched it out of his hand.
“I’ve been out there, stabbing, shooting, and murdering for you. I’m way ahead when it comes to killing,” she said, and Velda thought she sounded almost cheerful.
“What was your suggestion, Velda? That we give you the runner, you get Ethan off the bridge, and you head off?” Brink stood, hands a little away from her sides, talking as if Sylvester wasn’t slowly sliding down the wall, leaving a trail of smeared blood behind him.
“Yes, that’s my suggestion.” How much of this was the silver balls, how much was the final tipping point of years of resentment, Velda wondered.
Unsure, the silver balls said.But the result is the same.
The result was seriously crazy.
“I’ll take Sylvester to Yarmouth,” Brink said, and her tone was a little too bright. “Will you take Velda to the runner, Linao?”
Linao stepped back. “Sure. I can do that.”
35
Velda considered makinga run for it, but Linao was taking her where she wanted to go, and she was still holding the knife, dripping a trail of blood behind them.
Perversely, she was glad when Linao reached out and gripped her wrist to keep a hold of her. The silver balls could do their magic.
Neither of them spoke. Velda was hesitant to bring up what had happened, and Linao was obviously deep in thought.
They reached the launch bay, and found people inside taking the five crew Velda and Ethan had left in the runner out on stretchers. They had set temporary lights throughout the space, lighting it up in the power outage as best they could.
She and Linao politely moved to the side to let them pass, in what was surely one of the more bizarre events she’d experienced since this whole thing began.
They had just reached the open rear of the runner when the launch bay doors opened behind them and a team of four guards entered.
They were all armed with laz, and they looked grim.
“Kilber,” Linao said to the one in the lead. “You’re looking serious.”
“Your father told us to stop you from letting the woman have the runner,” Kilber said.
“If we don’t, we won’t get back control of the bridge,” Linao said. “And given the Caruso are using a backdoor to cut off the engine and power, we need it.”
Kilber jerked up a single shoulder. “I hear you. I’m telling you what my orders are.”
“So what am I supposed to do with her?” Linao asked.
