“Nothing.” BEll sounded peeved.
Darc gripped one of Nik’s arms, and her gaze moved over Ria and then Zayn. “You hanging out with assassins now?”
“None of your business,” Nik growled.
“Fine.” She tilted her head back. “I got your message. You want to infiltrate the Tekton base.”
Dathan and Eos rushed into the room, both pulling up short. Dathan cursed and skewered his older brother with a sharp glare. “You fucking contacted Darc?”
Nik’s face was impassive. “She’s been in the Tekton base.”
“And I have a map. Including their utilities. I recorded it during my previous…visit.”
Zayn swallowed a snort. No doubt the Tekton had been missing something valuable after Darc’s visit.
“I can’t guarantee they haven’t changed or upgraded anything. It’s been a year since I was there.”
They needed the map. Anything was better than going in blind. But Zayn was worried. “What’s it going to cost us?”
Darc’s face was empty of emotion, but he swore he sensed satisfaction from her. “Nothing. Yet.” She pulled against Nik’s hold. “If you can bring yourself to let me go, I’ll upload the map.”
Nik’s scowl deepened. After a few humming seconds, he released the treasure hunter.
Darc stalked to the holo-table and pressed a finger to the surface. “I have an integrated chip. Computer, access file TEK451-2.”
“My name is BEll, you scum-of-the-galaxy bitch.”
Darc raised a brow. “Even your computer has attitude. Figures.”
A sniff from BEll. “File accessed and copied.”
Darc nodded. “Fine—” There was a zapping sound and she jerked her hand away, shaking it. “Now who’s a bitch?”
“BEll, enough,” Nik said. “Is the map there?”
“Yes,” BEll answered.
Dathan moved forward. “I can’t believe you want nothing. You’re the most mercenary person in the entire galaxy.”
She tilted her head. “You need to get out more, Phoenix.”
“I don’t lower myself into the scum like you do.”
Darc’s face hardened. “You know nothing about me. But you’re right about one thing, I do want something in return for the map.” She turned to Niklas. “You’ll owe me. Just you. I’ll collect the debt when I’m ready.”
“No.” Zayn surged forward. “We’re all part of this hunt. We’ll all owe you.”
“You have nothing I want, Commander. Your brother will pay the debt.”
Nik nodded. “Fine.”
Zayn launched into an argument as did Dathan.
But Niklas kept his gaze on the tall treasure hunter. “I’ll show you out.”
Darc gave a small nod. “I’d wish you luck raiding the Tekton base, but I don’t think you’d take it.” She moved toward the doorway out of the cockpit, Nik following her.
“I hope he helps her out the nearest airlock,” Dathan said darkly.
