Seth, Dane, and Niles all glared at him, struggling to think of a comeback and finally decided to ignore him.
"Niles might be right," Seth said after a moment, "but I think it is only that we are a team and she does not feel safe without us there to watch her back."
Chapter Nine
It took Danika over an hour to locate Reuel. It might not have taken that long if she'd felt comfortable about stopping one of the cyborgs and asking directions, but she didn't, and the complex was big enough it might not have helped even if she had. She finally located him in the base hanger--which was filled, mostly, with debris and cyborgs moving around like ants in a stirred anthill.
The purposeful activity distracted her for some time. She was fairly certain that a good bit of the debris was from the plane in front of Slaughter Ridge where their drop-ships had been shot down. She'd wondered at the time why they were so carefully gathering and sorting the debris from the downed ships--and what had become of it when it vanished afterwards.
Clearly, they were focused on trying to rebuild them, or at least some, with what was available.
She just wasn't certain of why.
There were alien ships in the hanger, as well--also in pieces. She supposed the Andorians had tried to destroy them when the cyborgs had overrun them.
She didn't find Reuel until curiosity finally overcame uneasiness and she began wandering among the groups working in an attempt to understand what it was that they were planning.
Actually, Reuel found her, apparently drawn by the inactivity that followed in her wake, because the cyborgs simply stopped as she passed by them and stared. Catching her arm, he bellowed at the cyborgs to get back to work and led her from the hanger.
He eyed her with disfavor when they'd left the hanger. "You are disruptive," he said coolly.
Danika gaped at him. "I didn't do anything!"
"You do not have to do anything beyond walk by," he said sardonically. "They are males and there are no females here--except you."
Danika felt her face redden, but as embarrassed as she was, she was actually relieved that he'd made her point for her. "Actually, that's why I was looking for you. I wanted to see if you would put me in the brig with the rest of my squad."
Surprise flickered across Reuel's features, but he looked thoughtful. "I agree that it might be the safest place for you. On the other hand, you have done nothing wrong and I will not win the loyalty of my men if I am unjust."
"I was afraid of that," Danika muttered and then shrugged. "You bastard!" she yelled loudly. Drawing her arm back, she punched him in the face with her fist. She didn't think it hurt him, but she was convinced for several moments that she'd broken her fist.
She was also certain that Reuel had simply stood still andallowedher to hit him or she would never have managed it.
Reuel's eyes gleamed with amusement. "Two days in the brig for assaulting your commanding officer ought to teach you the error of your ways!" he said loudly. Catching her, he tossed her over one shoulder and strode briskly through the main area of the complex and straight to the brig. He deposited her on her feet once he reached the brig. "Toss her in with the rest of her unruly squad!" he ordered the guards. "When you have cooled your heels for a bit, mayhap you will have a cooler head on your shoulders, soldier! You are fortunate that we need every man or I might consider a court martial warranted for assaulting your superior!"
Seth, Dane, and Niles studied her with varying degrees of suspicion, surprise, and doubt as she was pushed into the cell with them and Reuel departed.
"You assaulted Reuel?" Dane whispered when Reuel had left.
Danika examined her hand. "He didn't seem inclined to lock me up for nothing," she said, "so I gave him a reason. I punched him in the face."
"That was not ... wise," Seth responded.
Danika was too pleased with herself to take exception to the insult. "Tell me about it! I'm glad I didn't punch him harder. I think I might have broken my hand. Hurts like a son-of-a-bitch now. Which bunks aren't taken?"
"They are all much the same," Dane said morosely, "lumpy and uncomfortable."
Danika shrugged. "Beats the hell out of the thin sleepers we had over a slab of ice, though, doesn't it?" she said cheerfully.
"Not by much."
Ignoring that, Danika chose a bunk and lay down gratefully. She'd managed to work up an appetite, though, and her grumbling stomach prevented her from sleeping. "When do we get fed anyway?"
"They have not yet."
Danika frowned, wishing, now, that she'd eaten more when she had the chance.
Seth shoved her legs out of the way and sat down at the foot of her bunk. "Why did you hit Reuel?"
