To my horror, Malaki insisted we needed to add in more swimming, both in OOF’s many pools and swimming in the ocean—the ocean I was terrified of. Malaki had said it was perfect for rehab, perfect for winding down. Rehab I just didn’t really want, yet knew I needed and no, it was not relaxing for me, not at all.

  The more Malaki saw how scared I was, the more she tried to get me to feel at ease. She worked gently, and slowly, and eventually it worked. I did start to feel better, and it did help my rehab; it strengthened my body in ways other rehab exercises couldn’t.

  Up here in the skies, with our general grinding and patrols, it was perfect. Today I watched the rolling weather clouds coming in. It was just so peaceful. I wanted nothing more.

  “Storm’s coming in,” Justin said. “We’ve some time left yet, though.”

  My HUD flashed from green to orange, and I flinched. He might have had time; I didn’t.

  “You’re too tired,” Malaki said and with a flick of her wrist, she had Justin on comms. “RTB.”

  “Copy,” he replied.

  “Bring them in,” Malaki ordered.

  “I—”

  “We’re heading back. No arguments.”

  I let out a sigh. “I never expected it to be this difficult.”

  The two drones were hard for me to grasp at first. My mind was split in three places. I don’t think anyone could understand how difficult that was until they had to do it themselves.

  I brought my drones back inside and listened to the thunk as the hangar doors closed. Do we have enough funds yet to buy some more? I asked Apex.

  If we get some basic ones, yes.

  “Fancy a shopping trip?” I said over general comms.

  “I was hoping you’d say that,” Silao replied. “I’ve been looking at M-Corp’s stores the last week.”

  Jealousy flared inside my mind, and Malaki reached over and put her hand on mine. I glanced at her and forced a smile. “I think that’s a great idea.” She grinned. “Doing something other than this grind will help us all. We can head over to grab dinner with Anders, too, my treat.”

  “Now that’s a plan.” Justin’s excitement came across. “I’m starving.”

  My stomach grumbled at that exact moment, and Silao laughed. “So is Rusty, it seems.”

  “We’ve been out all day.” Malaki dropped the collective nice and slow as we came into OOF. “I could eat some good real food.”

  “The grind’s been real,” I admitted. “Thanks for keeping me company.”

  “Glad you’re on form. The fact you’re wanting to get more drones in the air is great news,” Silao said. “It took me a lot longer than you have to master two drones, and you saw how I did with more.”

  “Yeah,” I replied. “I understand now.”

  “How about I take you up tomorrow?” Silao asked.

  “I don’t mind,” Justin said, just a little too eager. “I’ll keep Mal company. Perhaps we can study something else together.”

  Malaki shot me a glare, but shaking her head, said, “Me neither. That sounds great.”

  She was not a good liar, and I almost laughed loudly over the comms. “Sure,” I replied to Silao. “That, I think, is a good idea. Plus, will give you a break and still some more flight time.”

  Malaki downed the helo perfectly. I never expected anything else, and we jumped out. The head engineer stopped with her for a minute, going over something or other, and I just waited for her by the lockers with the other two. We all watched her face change from happy to thunderous.

  “You good?” Justin asked as she wandered back, her face a little pale.

  “No,” she admitted and moved to me, putting her head on my shoulders.

  “What is it?” I asked. Justin and Silao both stepped in closer before she would even look up.

  “There’s an anomaly in the engines,” she said. “I didn’t see it.”

  “Seriously?” Justin looked back at the helo. “You’re not joking, are you?”

  “How can I not have seen it, felt it?”

  “Hey, hey. Don’t think like that,” I said and patted her on the back.

  “No shopping.” Malaki nodded, but her eyes were dull, heartbroken. “My father’s going to meet us for dinner at Anders’s bar.”

  Silao’s eyes went wide. “You’re not joking about that either, are you?”

  Malaki shook her head again.

  “Sabotage?” Justin asked.

  “I don’t know, but it’s not looking good if it is.”

  “Come on,” I said and gently nudged her in the other direction away from the helos and their engineers now heading toward us. “Shower, change, and let’s catch a car over the tracks.”

  Malaki stuck to me as I walked her away.

  Two of those engineers I knew walked past. “Hey, Joel, you can take my shift tonight, right? Ali’s sick and I have to watch the kids.”

  “Sure,” the other said. “I can do that. Need the money. You know how that is.”

  The other two followed behind me, but their conversation now was not out loud.

  I squeezed Malaki to me, and she coughed. “Not so tight.”

  “Meh,” I teased. “You should be at the gym more often. You’re going soft.”

  Her smile, this time at least, was genuine.

  I showered and dressed in slacks and a shirt, then stood looking at my reflection in the mirror. I’d put a good amount of weight on. My physique was fitter than I’d ever been running, and I had the backup of muscle and energy to do so. I looked stupid out of uniform. The slacks, even with an elasticized waist, cut into my stomach and were too short. How that worked out, I’d no idea. If I bent over, I’d be showing next week’s washing, or worse. I let out a sigh and attempted to cross my arms, too. No chance.

  I really needed to go shopping, or at least order clothes in. This was stupid. Now I found myself without the things I needed the most when I needed them.

  Silao stepped out of his shower and glanced over at me the once. “Something wrong?”

  “I look like an idiot,” I said. “Nothing fits.” I reached into grab my uniform, but he stopped me.

  “Wait here.” Then he vanished.

  It wasn’t a minute later when he came back with trousers and a shirt. He held them out to me. “Wear these.”

  “I can’t do that,” I said and pushed them back at him.

  “Do you want to look like a pauper in front of Malaki’s father?”

  I shook my head. “No, I can wear my uniform. They’ve kept me in good stead.”

  “No, you’re not wearing that, either.” He pushed his clothes at me once more and let go.

  I caught them so they wouldn’t drop on the wet floor. “Thanks, man.”

  He winked at me and walked away to dress himself.

  I slipped my clothes off and instead of putting them back in my locker, I put them in the recycle bin. I was allowed a few credits to do so. They were still worth something, if next to nothing. I slipped on Silao’s dark gray trousers, they were a lot more comfortable and had a belt, so I tightened it a couple of notches smaller than he was used to wearing it. He was on the bigger side. That shocked me. Picking the shirt up, I admired the color, light blue, then the pattern to the silk. The collar and sleeves had a red trim to them, though I didn’t know what it was. It looked classy. I slid it over one arm; the material was exquisite on my skin. This was expensive. It also still smelled like him, remnants of also-expensive aftershave.

  He appeared in a totally different style of dress, with white shirt and tight-fitting gray trousers. They couldn’t be the same size as these, right?

  I think you’ll find they are.

  I didn’t think he was that much bigger than me. I cringed. I still need to train some more.

  I think you’re a great size.

  You see me from a different angle, I teased him. Thank you, though.

  “You look good,” Silao said, giving me the once over.

  I felt his eyes linger on me, and heat flushed up my face. “I won’t stand out now,” I countered, “right?”

  Silao moved in closer and fixed my collar for me. “Not at all.”

  I smiled, the subtle fragrance in his clothes much stronger now he was closer. “Bergamot and grapefruit?”

  “My favorite scent,” he said, his forehead scrunching. “Sorry.”

  “No problem,” I added. “It’s nice.”

  “You ready?” Malaki asked, coming around the corner at the same time as Justin. Both dressed to impress.

  I had to do a double take. She wore white too, an all-in-one suit, black heels, and her jacket. I’d seen the jacket before, but not the suit. It cut in at her waist, accentuating her curves in all the right places.

  Silao was the only one that spoke. “Damn, girl, you look amazing.”

  Malaki’s face pinked straight away, but we were all staring at her. “He’s still my father. I don’t want him to think I’ve been neglecting myself, either.” She stared at me, then her eyes trailed down my new attire, then to Silao. “He looks different. They’re yours?”

  “Guilty,” Silao said.

  Malaki moved to my side. “Think we’ll do?”

  Justin couldn’t take his jaw up off the floor.

  “You’re perfect, the both of you,” Silao said. “Come on, or we’re never going to beat the rush to Anders’s bar.”

  Once inside the car, Silao connected us four ways internally. “You still want to go up tomorrow?”

  “Yes.” I glanced at Malaki, and she nodded. “I need the practice.”

  “Yes,” Malaki answered as well. “I’m not having anyone push me away from my duties. We’ll see what my father has to offer.”

  “You’re sure?” Justin asked.

  I noted his arms crossed, his face pale. Maybe he was just tired.

  He’s not just tired, Apex said. His hearts racing, blood pressure is up.

  “No,” Malaki answered honestly. “I think we need to do this. Both you and I.”

  I watched her lean over the middle of the car and put her hands on his knees. He swallowed, holding her eyes with his and I traded glances with Sialo, who shrugged at me.

  “We need to do this,” she whispered to him. “I need to do this.”

  “I don’t…”

  “I trust you,” she said.

  “Maybe you shouldn’t.”

  It was the way he looked to us both, but we didn’t speak. This was on them.

  Malaki reached for his chin, turning it to face her. “I trust you with my life, always. Understand?”

  Justin nodded, though his lip still trembled slightly.

  “Good, so you with me?”

  Emotion still warred on Justin’s face and yet he took Malaki’s hands in his, and she let him. “We’ve got this, right?”

  Malaki moved over to his seat and squeezed in between the both of them to wrap him in a hug. “We’ve got this, I promise you.”

  Seeing Justin physically relax, though, his hand drifting to Malaki’s thigh, I understood. The idea of getting into a helo with her under the threat of sabotage…no, they’d both dropped out of the skies like lead. No. This time when I glanced at Silao, he smiled my way.

  The car journey wasn’t long, and we were piling out into Anders’s bar as the last rays of the sun hit the distant ocean.

  I stood and admired the scene for a moment. “Beautiful,” Silao said, as he stood with me.

  Malaki and Justin walked in, her arm tucked into his. “The sunset or how the both of them look together?”

  Silao lowered his head and sighed. “Both.”

  “Yeah,” I said, and on the inside I worried. “They’re getting a lot closer.”

  Silao tugged me forward. “Don’t worry, they’re not interested in each other like that.”

  Those words wouldn’t convince me. Not at all.

  The bar was almost full. There weren’t many spaces at all. Malaki was easy to spot here, though, standing with her father at the bar. Justin waved to us, and we made our way over to a corner booth. “He called ahead, pulled rank, I guess.”

  “Makes sense. Glad he could at least get us a good table.”

  I made to sit, eyeing the bar. “They are sorting us out?”

  “Just needed a private chat first.”

  There wasn’t anyone near them, only one of the Techean and she was one of Anders’s most regular servers. Cher.

  Justin and Silao talked about their day, but my mind was on my best friend and her father at the bar. Malaki couldn’t hide her emotions from me; they were written over every tiny detail. The way she stood, one foot behind the other, the way her hands fidgeted with her jacket. Her eyes were fixed on her father, but her lips trembled.

  I wanted to go to them. I waited another moment, and she turned to me, put her hand up. She knew I would have come over, that I was on edge.

  General Canlas glanced at me, and against her obvious wishes, he waved me to them.

  I stood and Silao and Justin went quiet. “Back in a minute.”

  With as much strength as I could, I walked to the bar. All eyes were on me as I did so.

  I heard a few “Who is that?”

  “That’s not…”

  “Can’t be. He…he’s going to the general?”

  I stood before General Canlas and, dipping my head, I smiled at him. “Good to see you again, sir.”

  He reciprocated the nod at me and glared at his daughter. “Would you please inform my daughter that she will not be taking that helo out tomorrow?”

  “Hey.” I held both hands up and took a step back. “Don’t get me in the middle of a fight.”

  “We’re not fighting,” Malaki almost growled out. “Just a disagreement.”

  Anders slipped over towards us with a bottle of alcohol. He held it up for the general’s approval. When he nodded to him, Anders said, “I will bring this over in a moment, with glasses and juice.”

  General Canlas moved away from the bar, with Malaki in tow, her head low. I followed them, about to speak.

  “At the table,” the general said. “We will have full privacy there. I cannot silence you and my daughter in here with so many eyes on you.”

  Approaching, Malaki waved her hands to the others to stay sitting, and she slid in beside Silao and me and Justin. The general sat next to her. Then, with a sweep of his hand, a shield covered the booth. “The only one with access is Anders,” he said, his voice calm, collected, but I felt the anguish oozing off him. I could also see it. Sweat beaded on his upper lip, where the faint stubble of the day also graced.

  He didn’t really need to tell us, but the others nodded at him.

  No one seemed to want to speak, and the silence was awful. “Josef,” I said to Justin’s wide eyes and white face. Even Malaki shot me a glare. “Josef,” I said with a little more energy.

  General Canlas looked at me. “Son,” he said. “Let me get that bottle of booze on the table, then I’ll talk. But I need a drink and a fucking stiff one.”

  Anders gracefully glided towards us from the bar, deftly carrying the tray. Without blinking, he entered through the barrier and set the tray down. He moved the glasses and the pitcher of juice off it, picked the bottle up, and removed the tray. He opened the top, showing it had never been touched, and with a couple of glugs, he poured the general a very generous measure.

  General Canlas picked it up, swirled it around in his hand. He put his nose to it and breathed in deeply. “It smells divine. Thank you, Anders.”

  “You’re welcome,” Anders returned, then with a smile to Malaki and a nod to us, he swam away.

  Malaki picked the bottle up. “This is expensive, Father, you shouldn’t have.”

  “Only the best. Now pour me another.”

  Malaki did and also poured us all one each. I drank deeply. The rich aroma and taste were exquisite. There was no burn at all. The alcohol was potent but super smooth with hints of vanilla and citrus fruits.

  “We’ve tracked those who rigged your accident,” he said, holding Justin’s eyes with his.

  Justin downed the rest of his drink and I poured him another. “They’re on OOF, right?” I asked.

  “Yes,” Josef said. “I got word today from one of the engineers that something showed up on your helo this morning. I didn’t bring you in because something was wrong. That would have tipped them off. But we were watching.”

  Anything you can dig for me, Apex?

  I’m trying. The general and his tech have enough firewalls and blocks to stop the best hackers, but the engineers…another story. Even I can do that.

  General Canlas took another full drink. He set his glass down and stared at me. “Move your training with Silao for a day,” he begged.

  There’s one engineer with fake paperwork and tech, Apex said.

  Don’t tell me, I replied to him. Joel.

  Bingo.

  “You’re watching an engineer with fake paperwork.” I held his eyes with mine, watching his brows furrow. I shook my head. “He’s on the roster tonight.”

  “No, he’s not,” Josef said.

  “He just swapped with his friend. Believe me, he’s on the roster tonight.”

  “Fuck,” the general swore, and we all traded glances as his eyes misted.

  74

  A moment later and General Canlas poured us all another drink, the bottle almost gone, and raised his hand for Anders.

  Is he okay? I asked, knocking Malaki’s HUD.

  No, she admitted. But are any of us?

  We will be, right? She faked me a smile and that worried me much more than I thought it ever could.

  It didn’t take long for Anders to swim his way over to us. “Sir?”

  “We’ll take a burger each with fries and sides,” Josef ordered. “Throw in some good snacks, and another round of drinks.”

  I admit I was a little perturbed he ordered for us all, but none of us would ever turn down Anders’s burgers, I was sure.

  “Of course, right up. Anything else?”

  “For now, no.” He let out a little sigh. “We might be here a while though if you’ll stay. I have friends coming in when the bar closes—”

  “You have my discretion, general, as always.”