“Plus, I bet the Garmman are paying you,” Fee said.
Vira didn’t answer, but the statement hit another nerve with Jaden.
“What’s it going to be?” Vira asked softly. “Tell me how to secure Eazi, or Larga Ways is hit.”
“All right. I’ll tell you.” She shot Vira a furious look.
“If you lie, if he does manage to connect to the systems, Larga Ways will be hit immediately.” Vira held eye contact, and Fee could see she wasn’t bluffing.
She was wearing the crystal beaded jacket Eazi had left for her. She had to hope that when the comms came back on, shewould be able to let him know what was happening without alerting Vira and her friends.
Eazi would need to pretend he wasn’t in the system, and hopefully get a message to theIlliumthat they had an enemy battleship just beyond one of the moons.
She glanced up at theIllium, pleased beyond measure that they’d had the foresight to undock.
“I won’t lie,” she promised. And then prepared to do just that.
CHAPTER 30
Fee was madeto wait in the cart while Vira went off to get the container Fee had told her would keep Eazi leashed.
Jaden had talked his way out, persuading Bart that he needed to go back to the office now that Vira’s hideout had been discovered.
Fee guessed both Vira and Bart had decided it was better to have him in a position to help them later, from within the system, if things didn’t go well for them and they got caught.
Also, she was pretty sure Vira had noticed the problem Jaden had with the threat to Larga Ways from the Garmman, and wanted him out of the way in case hard decisions had to be made.
Vira most likely didn’t want to lose the access he had given them for months, and she had to have picked up on his new uncertainty.
He’d turned back before he left. “Fiona, I’m sorr?—”
“You’re sorry you got caught.” Fiona cut him off. “And don’t go back to work. I already told you, you’re fired.”
As he stood there, shocked, Bart had slammed the cart door closed, and plunged her into darkness, broken only by a thin lineof light from where the top of the door didn’t quite meet the roof of the cart.
They were still in the same alleyway, off the main streets, and if anyone came by, all they’d see was Bart waiting beside a maintenance cart and think nothing of it.
She had quietly explored the cart, looking for any possible way out, but while she could probably kick her way out of it given enough time, Bart would be on to her after the first try.
Eventually, she leaned at an angle into a corner—the most comfortable way to sit with her hands still restrained behind her— and closed her eyes. She might as well rest while she could.
But it hardly felt like any time had passed before Bart opened the door. He motioned her out, and when she was standing in the green gloom of the alleyway, she saw Vira had brought someone with her.
She recognized the man.
He was Balcoan, and she tried to remember where she’d seen him before, but couldn’t put her finger on it. Somewhere on Balco. And recently. Maybe at the warehouse market.
He frowned at her. “She’s Grihan, not?—”
“She’s in disguise, Caran. Apparently there may be assassins after her.” Vira’s tone was dry. She had a box under one arm, and Fee guessed it contained the thin sterling silver cylinder she had specified.
Maybe when this was all done, Eazi could melt it down and make a jewelry set for her with it.
Caran stepped closer and tilted his head. “If you say so. We better have the right one, or?—”
“We have the right one. Come on, we have to get to the runner before the comms go up, so we’re ready to lift off the moment the systems are back online.” Vira was carrying a cloak over her arm, and she stepped forward and swirled it over Fee’s shoulders and lifted the hood.
A few people wore cloaks like these on Larga Ways. Mainly the Vanad, but they were all well over six foot, as far as Fiona had seen. It wouldn’t necessarily draw the eye, though, and it would hide her restrained hands and her face well enough.
