***
ELODIE GLANCED UP ASthe muffled sounds of a very familiar ring—distant sirens—went off somewhere far away, far above her. It didn’t extend in full force amongst the giant metal contraptions, the propulsion and thruster tech she and her dad skirted through, but it still stopped her in her tracks.
“Something’s happening.” She looked behind her.
“A siren. Another damn siren, it sounds like. If we’re lucky they found the creature that killed those men. Not that I mind that they’re dead, but it would make me feel marginally safer knowing there isn’t a beast lurking around.”
“But the sirens. They’re not supposed to go off.”Gunner. He’s supposed to be sneaky...
Elodie chewed on the inside of her cheek, suddenly worried.
“What the hell does that mean? It could be from anything. If they found those men, they’re soon going to find your cell empty. We need to keep moving, Ely.”
“Dad, there’s no place for us to go on a ship in the middle of nowhere. We can’t hide here forever. Our best bet is staying at the entrance, not going deeper.” That was exactly where her father was leading her: deeper. “We don’t even have food.”
“We can and we will! Geez, boy, when have I ever let you down? I learned some things while I was outside the cells and I know hiding in the bowels of this ship is a hell of a lot safer than what would happen otherwise.”
Elodie looked back at him. “Otherwise?”
“Captain knows something’s wrong, he’s not leaving his bomb-proof shelter of a hell-bent bridge and neither is his bridge-crew. They’re holing up and there’s been talk. More than just what Kallan is saying about us being related. Talk that they ain’t making their way to Elyria anymore, that they’re headed back to the main fleet, and I ain’t thinking it’s because of a reunion. I think it’s because of the chaos that is about to erupt on this ship. If they make it back to the main fleet...”
“What?” Elodie was confused.Isn’t going back a good thing?
“Boy, this ship is big, costly, and manned better and by more people than most pirate or blacklisted ships. There’s also cargo, beyond the humans aboard, worth a pretty penny. If the captain can’t control his men, and those men mutiny, with everyone on board, we’re going to be in the crossfires of a lot of bad fucking shit.”
Her lips lifted into a small smile.Gunner must be beside himself.
She still couldn’t shirk off the safety she felt just knowing he was around. But then the men with the torn up body parts came to mind, the gushing blood, and the looks of pain on their faces.
Would Gunner continue to protect her? They made a deal, she knew, but how long and how exact was it? The farther she got away from the brig, the more distressing her thoughts became. Those bodies looked like he had lost control. Those men didn’t just die; they were eviscerated.
“We’re going to fucking hide until I say we’re done hiding, and then we’re going to get ourselves to an escape pod.”
Elodie chewed on the inside of her cheek just as her belly grumbled for food.
“Them men up there are looking for anything and everything to save their own hides. Everyone’s on fucking edge.” He stopped and sighed. “If they use you to get to me... Elodie.” She blinked. He never called her by her name. “They’ll find out you’re a woman. We can’t let that happen.”
Sweat coated her palms. “It won’t happen.”
“It will! It’s a miracle you’re with me right now!” He cocked his head and ushered her deeper among the machines. “Let me try and save you, us, for as long as possible. If we’re lucky, this ship will land sooner than later, and we can climb our way out of the thrusters or warp drive.”
Climbing deeper into the machines had never seemed so unappealing to her, but she took a step forward, hugging Gunner’s jacket tight around her. Every second was a battle for her not to turn around and find him; she wanted to find him and make sure he was safe, then scream at him a little, then kiss him for a little longer.
We had a deal. Have. Have a deal.
It frightened her how much she had come to depend on him in such a short amount of time.Maybe because he never lied to me? Even when it was something unbelievable, something seemingly impossible, he never lied. He never hurt me.His sharp face appeared in her mind, red eyes, and guns. It made her shiver and calm. It made her uneasy and content.
As they traveled deeper, the sounds became more muted. Soon, the sirens were replaced altogether by the low hum of machines. The familiar silence was all at once soothing and dangerous, and she perked up, trying not to be lulled into a false sense of security by the nostalgia of it all. Even the wafting heat pulled at her concentration. Sweat had been a constant for her when on the job. Unlike some men, who went shirtless at times, she always had to wear a jacket to hide her figure.
“There should be a break room somewhere further in,” her dad grumbled, ducking beneath a pipe.
“You think this ship will have one?”
“It’s got the workings of a Legionnaire Titan with freighter modifications, of course there’s an engineer’s room down here. They might have just filled it with bullshit, but doesn’t mean the floor plan is any different.”
Several short minutes later her dad jittered, “There. There’s a door up ahead.”
He lifted his keycard but she stopped him. “Don’t. They may be able to track access.”
