From what the boy had to share, Caius had played a big part in his first escape.He also seemed to think the marshal was somewhere else in the honeycomb.
“Do you know where?”Jin asked.
Anandra shook his head.Greer and Raya followed suit a second later.
“Give it a rest, kid.What could you do even if they told you?”Maggie asked with a scoff.
“I don’t remember you being this pessimistic, Maggie.”
“Stop acting like you know me, kid.You don’t.”
Jin forgot to control his expression for a moment, giving Maggie a glimpse of his crazy.A little of it anyway.Rather than try to smooth things over, Jin decided to roll with it.“Maggie, I suggest you refrain from getting on my bad side.”
Kira wasn’t around to hold him back if he decided to snap.
“I’m a victim too, you know.”
“You’re the person who handed a honeycomb over to a criminal enterprise.There are victims here, but you’re not among them.”
“It wasn’t supposed to be this way,” Maggie complained.
“I don’t want to hear it.You could have sold it to the government.”
Even with their pay scale, the sisters would have made plenty.
“The government no longer pays for shit like this.”
“Bullshit.”
Jin was in the business.He knew exactly how much something like this was worth.
“I’m not lying.Things have changed in the last six months.Used to be, you could make a steady living with scraps from these wrecks.Not anymore.Why do you think so many salvagers are no longer in business?Because they can’t make enough to keep their ships afloat.It’s either the black market or nothing.”
“That can’t be right,” Jin murmured.
He’d checked the going rate on salvages when he was researching why so many of their old contacts had dried up.Everything was the way it had always been.If anything, the rates had gone up on certain things.
“Don’t know what to tell you,” Maggie said.“It’s the way it is.”
They quieted as voices approached from a distance.
Jin gestured the children back under the blanket, moving to stand in front of it as several people approached the cell.
Maggie made herself as small as possible in the corner.
Jin felt a tug on the back of his pants.He looked down to find Greer poking her head out from under the blanket.
“You should hide too,” she whispered.
Jin crouched, tucking her back under the fabric.“I’m afraid not, little one.Someone must stay out here to face the dragons.”
“They will take you.”
Jin smiled and pinched her cheek.“That’s the plan, sweetheart.Don’t worry.Someone is coming for you.Her hair will be red and she has a fondness for setting things on fire.When she arrives, be sure to tell her she’s late.”
“I will,” Greer whispered, scooting backward.
Jin straightened and faced the front of the cell just as Gator and several others approached.
