“At least we found Grogan, and got Trayla and Natta safe before they suffered the same fate as he did.” Fiona rubbed her arms.
“Grogan will be in recovery for a while, but he’ll come through.” There wasn’t much Grihan medics couldn’t put back together, fortunately, and Grogan’s injuries were not on the level of missing limbs.
“It will be interesting to hear his debrief,” Fee said. “I wonder what they were trying to get out of him.”
Hal wondered that, too. And remembered again the way the Balcoan had grabbed up Fee in the warehouse, and run.
These people were after information, just as much as they were, and they weren’t afraid to spill some blood to get it.
CHAPTER 23
They booked into a new hotel.
The townhouse had to be considered compromised, given Grogan knew where it was and he had clearly been tortured.
The hotel they’d stayed at the night before was in her capacity as Fiona Russell, head of Larga Ways, and for now she was hoping her Feenra disguise was still useful.
So they bought some clothes on the way, and checked in, and when Fiona saw the view, a panoramic vista up and down the river, with the bridge on one side, and the gleam and beauty of the buildings on the opposite bank, she leaned against the balcony railing and let herself forget everything for a moment and simply enjoyed the view.
Hal came up behind her and tugged her close, and she sighed and leaned back against him.
They found themselves standing like this often on Larga Ways, as her apartment had an even larger balcony than this one, and her view was of the main street through the way station, with Balco rising up green, gold and blue in the distance.
“Weren’t you down here to keep yourself safe from assassins?” Hal murmured in her ear, and then kissed the skin just below it.
“Mmm-hmm.” She stretched against him. “At least the attempts to kill me down here haven’t been personal,” she said, and laughed. “They just wanted me dead without payment or even knowing who I am.”
“That’s obviously much better.” Hal pulled her backward, until they were in the bedroom, and then lowered her onto the bed. “When can you go back?”
“I actually haven’t heard a word from Tean Lee, which is strange, but I know Eazi is keeping an eye on him and his investigation into the supposed assassination plot.”
“With luck, we won’t hear from anyone for at least the next hour,” Hal told her, and began unfastening her shirt.
A sharp knock at their door stilled his hands.
He pushed back without a sound, and Fee swung her legs over the side of the bed while she quickly set her clothing straight.
Hal lifted his comm unit, checking to see if they’d missed a message, and frowned as he shook his head.
“Eazi, we have someone at the door. Do you know who’s looking for us?” Because they had not shared their location—they’d made the decision to come to this hotel on the spur of the moment after General Olna had left. For the first time since she and Eazi had saved Larga Ways, Eazi didn’t answer her.
Fiona lunged forward as Hal approached the door, and shook her head.
“Eazi isn’t answering,” she mouthed to him, and his eyes widened.
He understood immediately how bad that was.
The knock came again, and Fee realized it was better they knew who was looking for them. She indicated to Hal to open up, and she stood so that she would be the first thing the knocker saw.
Hal pulled the door open just as the person outside was lifting their hand for another knock.
Hal grabbed their wrist and yanked them inside, and Fiona checked they had come alone before quietly shutting the door.
She turned and studied the woman they’d allowed in.
She had wrenched her arm away from Hal and was looking at him in outrage, and Fiona suddenly remembered her.
“Kivisha da Pirro,” she said. “Leader Baruke’s daughter.”
