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  Talice looked around the table one last time. “Alright, team, let’s get ready for action. It’s showtime.”

  * * *

  The drop point was ten kilometers outside Inland City in a secluded forest. Abie had brought Bird One down like a true pro, using thrusters only, and leaving almost no trace of their being there. Nikolay and Bělinka had jumped the last meter, meaning the ship never actually touched the ground. They disappeared into the copse as Talice watched on the ex-view screens over Mac’s shoulder. The rest of the team was crowded around as well.

  “Found a spot about twenty kilometers north I can hide us for a while,” said Abie, as Bird One lifted away. “We can’t stay in the air very long or we’ll be sighted for sure.”

  “As long as you can get us airborne again quickly,” replied Talice.

  “Closer than going back into orbit. This is all gonna be touch and go.” Abie glanced over her shoulder as Talice exited to the TacOps Center.

  Mac hit the intercom button. “Checking for comm, Nikolay, confirm.”

  “You are clear, Sergeant.”

  “Bělinka, confirm.”

  “Here, Mac, loud and clear.”

  “Alright, keep your throat mikes hidden under your scarves. Your ear receivers look like typical local jewelry, so they won’t attract any attention.”

  “What are they using for exchange?” asked Rory. “Probably don’t take our Theia creditmarks here.”

  “Part of our gear,” said Talice. “They use real metal coins here, gold, silver, copper. Damn near medieval.”

  “And they know the values of these?” Rory shook his head. “Sure hope we don’t go broke in their shopping spree.”

  “They’re sharp, and since they’re a real couple, they’ll have casual familiarity with each other,” replied Mac. “Bělinka loves to shop and has a good sense of when things are getting too close or uncomfortable.”

  “And all they’ve got is hand guns and shockrods,” said Talice.

  “Body-cams hidden in their necklaces are good,” said Mac, watching the screens closely. “There is a road about half a kilometer away, and they can be in the city within a couple of hours.”

  Talice nodded. “I want two on-station at all times, full gear and armed, just in case we have to go in after them.” She glanced over her shoulder. “Rory, Ollie, suit up. Briggs, you and Junior stand by. Dosu, you’re with me. Get some rest and be ready to go if we have to.”

  The control niche cleared, leaving only Talice and Mac. “I hate doing this, splitting the team.” Talice shook her head. “But we’ve got to find these people.”

  “They’ll check in every hour, more often if they find something important.”

  “Bird One can get to the city in about five minutes in case of trouble. Sometimes, it’s seconds that count, though. We both know that.”

  Mac laid a hand on Talice’s arm. “Take it easy, Princess. Momma Mac will bring them home safe.”

  * * *

  Two hours and a bit more passed before real civilization was seen by Nikolay and Bělinka. They kept a running commentary between themselves, all of which was easily picked up by Mac and Bird One’s monitors.

  “It’s like visiting an old-town reconstruction,” said Bělinka. “At least fifty to a hundred years behind Theia, maybe more. Lots of small homes, neighborhood stores, not much activity right now. It’s nearly dark, so most everyone is home from work, or on the way.”

  “A lot of groundcar traffic, though.” Nikolay’s voice was low, barely audible. “Passing by a fueling station. We hopped a groundbus and are getting closer to the center of town now.”

  “Stop for a meal,” said Mac into her microphone. “Take your time and wait for night to settle. Things should calm down even more by then.”

  “That’s the plan,” replied Bělinka. “We’ll check back in one hour.”

  Mac hit the mute button but left the line open.

  “I’ll change the on-station guys and bring you some dinner,” said Talice. “After that, take a break and I’ll listen for a while.”

  She turned and went through the hatch, made her way to the deployment area, and sent Rory and Ollie forward for rest and food.

  She followed and knocked on Briggs’s cabin door. “Hey, big guy, you and Junior are on-station. Five minutes.” She heard Briggs grunt acknowledgement, then headed for the tiny mess area. Minutes later, she was back with Mac, and they shared a quiet meal.

  Talice set her empty plate aside. “If we don’t find the Braysons in a day, we’re heading for the rendezvous point. We don’t have time or resources to search the city.”

  Mac nodded, reclined her hoverchair, and closed her eyes. “Give me a couple of hours, then we should know more.”

  The hatch to the cockpit opened and Jamal Orlando stuck his head out. “Captain! We’re picking up a signal on broadcast with the ID codes you gave me to search for.”

  Mac straightened in her seat as Talice rose and entered the cockpit with Orlando. Abie was asleep at the pilot’s station, and Thomas had taken a break from his copilot seat.

  “Let’s hear it.” Talice crouched between the control seats as Orlando took his place. He punched up the ground nav system, and they listened for a few moments.

  “It’s broadwave, going everywhere. Why would he do that?” asked Orlando.

  “Evans’s comm system was damaged. Maybe it’s all he has. Location?”

  Orlando ran a quick sweep and put it on the screen. “Moving slowly west, general direction of the pickup point. I don’t have enough resolution on this to tell exactly where he is, but I’d say at least an hour on foot before he clears the western edge of the city.”

  “How long to the rendezvous?”

  “A day, maybe more. The terrain isn’t bad, mostly forest and plains, farmland. Hills, but no mountains. Weather is good, rain coming in maybe tomorrow or the day after at the pickup point.”

  Talice studied the screen for a moment. “Can you locate Niky and Bělinka?”

  “Sure.” Orlando adjusted his instruments and two points lit, some distance from the target. “Basically, on the other side of town, currently not moving.”

  “They’ve stopped for dinner. Mac can get them on the comm in a minute. We need to find transportation to Evans, so they can escort him. He’s broadcasting his location everywhere, so we’ve got to move fast. Any way we can contact him?”

  Orlando considered, then shook his head. “Not that I can think of. Whatever he’s using, it’s low-powered and cheap. Might even be a commercial commset.”

  “Something from the Brayson’s fix-it shop?” asked Mac, peeking into the cockpit from her hoverchair.

  Talice nodded. “Could be. Yeah, that would make sense, with his directional signal broken.”

  “What about the Braysons?” asked Mac.

  Talice considered. “We’ll have Niky and Bělinka check the shop quickly. Evans is our first priority. We get him, then we’ll think about what else to do.” She patted Orlando on the shoulder. “Good job. Mac, let’s go.”

  * * *

  Two hours went by, then another. Nikolay and Bělinka checked in twice more as they found their way to the Braysons’s shop. Talice listened with Mac as they made their report.

  “The rear door has been forced and the back room is a wreck. Someone was looking for something of importance, no doubt.” Bělinka’s voice was barely above a whisper. Talice could hear her footsteps as she moved about the room. The nose of her handgun showed in the NightSight camera feed.

  “Front of the shop is intact.” Niky had searched and returned to the rear of the shop. “I find no entrance above or below. Single-story building, so they apparently lived elsewhere.”

  “That’s interesting,” said Mac. “Nikolay, look under rugs or tables, anywhere a door might lead below.” She hit the mute. “Why would they live elsewhere? If they were working with Evans, surely they’d have an escape.”

  Talice motioned to the comm button, and Mac pr
essed it. “Niky, look for hidden rooms, too. The inside may be smaller in appearance than the outside, and disguised. Maybe there are side rooms they lived in.”

  “Checking.” More movement sounds emitted from the speaker as Talice and Mac waited.

  Dosu stuck his head around the corner of the TacOps console: Talice motioned downship. “Wake Rory and Ollie. Suit up. Showtime.”

  Dosu nodded and disappeared, as Talice punched the in-ship comm button. “All hands, stand by for OpCom. Target is on the move.” She clicked off and stepped into the cockpit.

  “Where is he, Jamal?”

  Orlando zoomed the screen in. “Moving faster now, so he’s got some sort of transportation. Just clearing the eastern edge of the city.”

  “Waited for nightfall… smart man.” Talice went back through the hatch. “Get Niky and Bělinka moving east. Evans is on the run.”

  Mac pointed to the monitor. “Nikolay found a three-room apartment that wraps around the interior of the shop. Bělinka found a basement with a tunnel.”

  Talice nodded. “Jackpot. Probably in the shop trying to get Evans’s signal unit working, then cobbled together a broadband transmitter. Then ran. They’ve got to be terrified at this point.”

  Mac nodded. “Someone forced the door, looking for them. If they’d been there, they’d be dead.”

  “But whoever was there didn’t find the apartment or tunnel. Probably in a real hurry.”

  Mac turned to her comm unit. “Nikolay, get out of there. Find transport heading east, we’ll send you directions. Things are getting hot.”

  “Copy, moving out.” They heard the sounds of a door clicking shut and footsteps as Nikolay and Bělinka exited the shop.

  Talice stuck her head back into the cockpit. “Wake Abie. Get Bird One ready to go. We’re heading for the rendezvous point.”

  * * *

  They lifted ten minutes later. Abie was still yawning, half awake, and Will Thomas took Bird One up, avoiding Inland City, skirting to the north.

  “Rendezvous point in ten minutes,” Thomas announced over the all-ship intercom. Abie, in her pilot seat, sipped fruit juice.

  Talice made her way back to the deployment area. The three man-mountains were there, along with Junior and Ollie. Talice was still in her camis. “Briggs, Ollie, Dosu, once we’re down, deploy and dig in. Rory, you and Junior are on search and rescue. Don’t engage unless fired upon, and even then, if you can get out without shooting back, do it. I don’t want a hint of who we are to be found by Nemesis.”

  “Do we know Niky and Bělinka are following the target?” asked Briggs.

  Talice nodded. “And Orlando picked up three aircars and two groundcars about five minutes ago. The groundcars are no problem, the aircars might overtake them, but doubtful. Whatever they’ve commandeered has almost caught up to Evans.”

  “Where is the target?”

  “About thirty minutes ahead of the trailing groundcars and traveling by infrared. My biggest concern is the bad guys might locate Nikolay and Bělinka.”

  Rory huffed. “Damn, they might mistake our guys for the target.”

  Talice nodded again. “Which is why we’re in the air right now. Okay, you’ve got about five minutes. We’ll land, drop you, then stand off.”

  “You aren’t joining the party, Captain?”

  “Not this time. You guys got this. Piece of cake. Briggs, you’re in charge on the ground.”

  “Hua, Captain.”

  Bird One slowed, and they grabbed handholds as the ship banked hard to the left, then slowed again. The ramp began to lower. Searchlights lit scrub and trees ten meters below.

  “Standby for drop,” came Abie’s voice over the speaker.

  Talice shouted over the roar of air. “Make this clean. Offer your call signs, get the reply, and get them in. Then we can retrieve Niky and Bělinka, and get the hell out of here. Activate eyes.”

  The team lowered their visors and gave quick thumbs-up. Two meters off the ground Briggs, Ollie, and Dosu jumped. Ten seconds later, Rory and Junior.

  “Down. All accounted for.” Briggs.

  “Dust-off!” Abie took Bird One up and away as the ramp closed. Talice turned and headed upship once again, back to TacOps with Mac.

  “ETA five minutes for target to rendezvous.” Orlando’s voice boomed over Mac’s speaker.

  “Copy, ground team in place. Status on Nikolay and Bělinka?”

  “Ten minutes and closing. They’re really hauling ass. Trailing aircars have passed them with no indication of seeing them.”

  “That’s a relief,” said Talice, sidling up beside Mac. She shivered.

  Mac glanced over her shoulder. “You okay? Need meds?”

  Talice grimaced. “I should be out there with them.”

  “At some point, you’re going to have to realize your limitations, Princess.”

  “I’m their leader. I should be leading.”

  “Aircars are five minutes out, target three minutes. Gonna be close.”

  “Copy. That should be enough time, as long as Evans doesn’t give us any trouble. Report every thirty seconds, Jamal,” said Talice.

  “Will do.”

  “Headlights.” Briggs. “Sending recognition codes.”

  “Damn, will he even receive them?” Mac shook her head as Talice grabbed a mike. “His comm unit was junk, and they used a broadwave unit. Can they even hear us?” Talice clicked the button. “Briggs, Evans may have no comm. Somebody needs to show themselves and take a chance.”

  “I’ll do it.” Junior. “Rory’s got me covered.”

  “Copy. Ground team, cover Junior, do not engage… shit… Briggs, your discretion. If you have to club Evans over the head, do it. Get him into the ship with minimal damage.”

  “Copy. Moving out.”

  “Captain, I’m standing with arms raised, weapon slung.” Junior again. “Rory has his searchlight on me. I’m a target, but so far, I’m not shot.”

  “Ollie, if you have to wing someone, take the shot.” Talice had a near-stranglehold on the mike. Mac’s hand found her arm and squeezed gently.

  “Still here. Groundcar slowing.” Junior paused. Talice could hear his breathing increase a bit, but the kid was keeping his cool. “Someone is getting out… male… armed. Two others in the car. Permission to talk to him?”

  “Yes. Use best judgment. Stay alive.”

  “Target acquired, just in case.” Ollie.

  “Aircars, three minutes.” Jamal’s voice held a bit of stress. “Gotta do something, Captain.”

  No shit, thought Talice.

  “Here come Nikolay and Bělinka!” Orlando. “Enemy aircars, two minutes!”

  Talice listened as Junior gave the call signs. She couldn’t hear the other voice, but Junior repeated his words.

  “Captain, he’s asking who we are and who sent us.”

  Talice hit the mute and looked at Mac. “Damn, even with the call signs, he’s leery. Hell, I don’t blame him.” She punched the button. “Tell him Marine Major Harlan Fawkes.”

  Junior repeated the name.

  “Aircar lights, coming fast.” Briggs. “I’ve got Niky and Bělinka.”

  “Rory, douse your light. Everyone, take cover. Abie, arm weapons.”

  “Captain, three ready to come aboard!” Junior. He was running she could tell, back toward the cover team and Bird One, waiting in the air. Talice could hear him egging Evans and the others on.

  “Two new contacts, coming fast, likely fighters, ETA three minutes!” Jamal again.

  “Abie, take us down, open the ramp! Team, fall back, get out of there!”

  Air roared through the ship. Talice ran back to the deployment area and under the shield as it was closing. Dust and grit pelted her and everything else. She grabbed a handhold, extended her other hand, and closed her eyes. Someone’s gauntlet closed around her wrist. She pulled. Then another. Then a bare hand.

  She opened her eyes as the deployment area filled with leaping, screaming people.
“Where’s Briggs!”

  “Coming, Captain.” Ten seconds later, the ramp was folding up into the fuselage.

  “All accounted for.” Junior again.

  Damn good kid, thought Talice. She wiped her eyes and groped for the intercom. “Abie, lift, get us out of here before those fighters arrive.”

  “Hang on!”

  Talice turned to the mob before her. “Grab the hand-holds! Get on the floor! Hang on to each other!”

  Bird One lifted almost vertically. Everything and everyone not strapped in rolled downship, banging against the stowed ramp. Someone screamed, a woman. Somebody grunted. Talice slammed against the wall and nearly lost her grip as the ship accelerated. Then banked hard left. Then hard right. Then dove. Then resumed the climb. Slowly, the exterior sounds went away, and they leveled out.

  Thirty seconds passed.

  “Everybody okay?” Abie again.

  Talice counted to ten before opening her eyes. Her head spun. Her elbow hurt like hell. Someone was groaning. She stood on shaking legs and hit the intercom. “Yeah. We’re alive. Good work, Abie.”

  “Just flyin’ the friendly skies.”

  CHAPTER TEN

  Diplomacy with a Big Stick

  (Part One)

  Facing the Music

  Who wishes to fight must first count the cost.”

  Sun Tzu, “The Art of War”

  On the Way Home to Theia…

  Thomas and Orlando had a line outside the infirmary, once Bird One was clear of Eos. Between minor injuries caused by Abie’s evasive maneuvers avoiding the missiles launched by the trailing fighters, to Evans’s mysterious “injury” referred to in Fawkes’s commtext, it took three hours before everyone was settled again.

  Talice was among the walking wounded. Her elbow wasn’t broken, but the bone bruise was deep, and as the trip wore on, nearly stiffened her entire arm to the point of immobility. It didn’t help her disposition, especially when she knocked on the door of Junior’s cabin, which had been given over to Evans.

  “Yuh…”

  “Mr. Evans, we need you in the infirmary for a scan.”

  The door opened after a moment. Evans was not what one might have thought a covert-ops specialist would look like. Half a head shorter than Talice, slim and still disheveled from his ordeal, he showed little interest in Talice’s request.