“This is our home.”
“If you don’t run, it’s going to be your grave.”
An explosion rattled through the connection.
“Where will we go?” he yelled. “There is nothing for us.”
I snapped my fingers, and Neds came over to join me at the feeds. We’d worked together enough that I didn’t even have to tell him to pull up the closest, safest homesteads that would shelter the Fessler crew.
“Got it,” Right Ned said. “Pocket of Rubies is just to the west of them, and looking for more hands. They could shelter there.”
“Braiden?” I said, “are you still with me?”
Nothing but static. All the screens locked, blinked down to black, then powered up again.
“What the hell?” I said. Our system had never faltered. Never.
A man’s face came into focus on the screen, too large at first, then pulling away as if he were adjusting a camera to catch his image. He was in his late fifties, with salt-and-pepper curly hair and small, wire-rimmed glasses perched on his round nose beneath thick eyebrows. His skin was fair, his eyes small and bright, and from the scruffy beard and mustache, he looked like he hadn’t shaved in a day or two.
“This is Oscar Gray,” he said in a pleasant tenor. “Abraham, would you care to explain why you used House authority—without my approval—to cancel the manpower contract with House Red?”
Dammit all.The last thing we needed was another House getting involved. And we certainly didn’t need the head of House Gray involved.
Abraham had taken off the earpiece and walked around to stand in front of the main screen next to me. Neds took care to step off into the shadows where he wouldn’t be seen. But it was too late for me, so I just stood my ground.
“There is a settlement in the line of their construction,” Abraham said.
Oscar frowned. “Are you sure? There are no records of House registration.”
“House Brown,” he said.
Oscar took a deep breath and closed his eyes. “Abraham . . .”
“Children,” Abraham said. “Families.”
Oscar nodded. “How many?”
“Fifty people. They can be relocated.”
“Why aren’t they already relocated? I’m sure notice was served, surveys were done.”
“They can be out of there in three days,” Abraham said.
Neds, in the shadows, swore softly.
“I can’t give them three days. They have tonight.”
“Thank you,” Abraham said.
Oscar pointed one thick finger at the monitor. “You’ve put me in an uncomfortable position. Aranda Red is just looking for a reason to give my brother support, and you’ve handed her a breach of contract. She’ll roast me alive.”
“Maybe not,” Abraham said. “They were running night crews. We agreed to provide the manpower only for day construction, if I’m not mistaken.”
Oscar’s eyebrows ticked up. “You’re never mistaken, but I’ll look into it. It’s not much of a reason to cancel all the workforce for House Red in North America, but it’s something.”
“All the workforce?” I asked. “It’s only one small construction site.”
I knew Oscar had seen me when he’d first patched into our systems. But now he turned so he was addressing just me.
