The second step would be to find an area in that direction where they could set the FCT down. The third would be to set up a defense along that area, and the fourth to monitor the region from above and adjust to any changes in Caleb’s trajectory.

  It was a mission that would draw a lot of manpower. Way too much manpower, as far as Sam was concerned. Governor Stone was wasting a lot of time and resources to bring Caleb down, and for no other reason than to cover his lie.

  That wasn’t true. There was another reason, more important than the first. Elizabeth Stone was heartbroken over the loss of Orla. Sam didn’t blame her for that. But she wanted vengeance more than she wanted safety, and Governor Stone was more than willing to oblige.

  That wasn’t even the worst part. The worst part was the certainty that if push came to shove, Caleb would kill them first.

  Sam crossed her cube to the bathroom, pulling off her tank top and panties, relieving herself before jumping in the shower. She lingered there for a few minutes, taking advantage of the relaxed need to keep their water use minimized. The starship had come to rest beside a large river, and once Engineering had a chance to handle the thousand other minor tasks they had already been assigned they would work on siphoning water from there, through the ship’s filters and into the city in an endless supply, at least for as long as the city remained inside the ship’s hold.

  Which wouldn’t be long, if everything went the way Stone hoped. Between surviving four hours on the ground and the discovery of the armory, the Governor was convinced they had everything they needed to start following the protocols that would take the city outside. Engineering was already working on repairing the main hangar’s large inner doors and the huge lift that would carry the loaders, builders and blocks to the surface. They were also in the process of removing the false wall on the south side of Metro, revealing the huge interlock that would allow the pieces of the blocks egress. It was an impressive sight that Sam could watch from the window of her corner cube if she wanted.

  The problem with all of those plans was that Stone had already decided the threat to the colony was minimal. The Governor didn’t believe anything was coming to kill them. He felt that if they were coming, then they would have already arrived. Sam had tried to argue that point with him in an attempt to convince him the enemy might have decided to be more cautious than that. He was hedging his bets by prepping the defenses first, but she sensed an undercurrent of desire to get the city outside and start settling into some kind of normalcy. Besides, she already had a job to do, so she should just let him focus on those details while she focused on her mission.

  She wanted to punch him when he said it. She had always known him to be a bit arrogant, but she couldn’t believe he was being such a patronizing, condescending asshole.

  She turned off the water a little too violently, causing the pipes to rattle as the water stopped flowing. She stepped out of the shower, quickly dried herself off and then padded across the living area back to her bedroom. She grabbed a fresh set of clothes and checked the time. Oh-three-hundred. She wasn’t supposed to meet her troops at the Law Office until oh-five-hundred, but she was done trying to sleep. She was done sitting around. There was nothing restful about it. She was angry, frustrated, and more than a little scared, and there wasn’t anything she could do about it.

  Except…one thing.

  She grabbed her badge and clipped it to her shirt. Then she headed out the door.

  It was a shot in the dark, but it was a shot she had to take.

  Chapter 37

  The Law Office was quiet when Sam arrived, with only a skeleton crew of deputies staffing the desks in the front of the building. Most of them had their feet up and their hats over their faces, trying to get a little extra sleep while waiting for reports from the officers patrolling the city. DDF operations had already relocated to the Governor’s Mansion, not really a mansion at all, but rather a much larger cube at the top of the first block in Metro. Governor Stone wanted to lead, but he wanted to do it from the comfort of his home.

  Half of Law had already transferred to the new Deliverance Defense Force. There was no paperwork involved, only a request made to the Governor’s Office, at which point Stone decided what rank to give them and where to place them. He had made all of the original officer picks from Colonel Dante down to Lieutenant Baez, but now the former sheriffs and militia members ranked between the two were deciding on the positions. Once the defense council completed the volunteer assignments, they would begin drafting civilians to finish filling the ranks.

  Sam bristled again. She should be on the defense council. Her rank demanded it, and only Stone’s direct orders overrode it. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She had to stay partial to do what was right for the colony, not focus on how the Governor had personally affected her. And she was here to do right by the colony, wasn’t she? Not because she wanted to get back at Stone?

  There was a fine line, but it was an important distinction to make. If Stone led them in the wrong direction, she had to be prepared to do something about it, not follow him into the inferno.

  She walked across the office, keeping her steps as light and soft as possible so the deputies wouldn’t pay her any mind. She was closing on the last occupied desk when she recognized Deputy Bashir by his thin frame and badge.

  She took a moment to decide whether or not to invite him into her duplicity. Then she put her hand on his shoulder.

  “Bashir,” she whispered.

  “Dante, that you?” Bashir replied from under his hat.

  “Yes.”

  “What time is it?”

  “Three-fifteen.”

  “Thought you were coming back at five.”

  “I have work to do before I go.”

  “DDF HQ is at the GM,” he said.

  “Sheriff’s business,” she replied. “You want in?”

  He took his leg off his desk, lifted his hat off his face, and sat up, looking at her. “Does this have anything to do with Card, by any chance?”

  “Indirectly. It has to do with protecting Metro. That’s what all of this is about.”

  “Would Stone call it treason?”

  Sam nodded. “Probably.”

  Bashir smiled. “Then I’m in. What Jackson did to the Guardians is bullshit. What he’s doing to you is even more bullshit. I wish I could come with you.”

  “I wish you could come with me too.”

  Bashir had volunteered for the DDF. Stone turned him down. The Governor didn’t say why, but Sam believed it was because of her. She had worked too closely with Bashir over the years, and for as much as Stone said he trusted her, he wasn’t taking any chances.

  “He only let you off the hook so he could send you after Card, didn’t he?” Bashir asked.

  “That’s right,” Sam agreed. “If I kill Caleb, I’ve earned my place. If Caleb kills me, no loss. If I try to help Caleb and the rest of the squad kills me, no loss.”

  “It’s messed up, that’s what it is.”

  “Agreed.”

  “We should be focused on what might be out there that’s really a threat.”

  “Agreed again.”

  “Right. I had to get that off my chest. What are we doing?”

  “I need to go down into the armory. Past it, actually. The ship’s mainframe is down there. The terminal is unlocked. It has complete access to everything. Every recording from every camera in and outside of Metro, past and present.”

  “Does Jackson know it’s there?”

  “I don’t know. He was so focused on the armory he didn’t bother with the rest of the deck. Do you know if anyone’s still down there?”

  “He posted a guard.”

  “Who?”

  “Caspar, Wilks, and Gudru I think.”

  Caspar was on her side. She wasn’t sure about Wilks or Gudru.

  “What kind of recording are you looking for?” Bashir asked.

  “I’m not sure if that’s what I’m after. Governor Stone’s family deleted data from the archives and reset the computer to wipe out the truth about the city and the Deliverance. They were the ones who put us back on Earth, not the Marines. Not even Valentine.”

  “I know that,” Bashir said. “I was there. But you know Stone’ll have me killed if I even whisper anything about it.”

  “I know. If I can get some evidence, I can clear the Guardians from blame and bring them in.”

  “You need to be careful. We can’t afford a riot.”

  “I know.”

  “So what do you need me to do?”

  “Help me get past the guards, and then act as a witness. If I’m the only one with the information and something happens to me out there, the whole plan goes to hell.”

  “You want me to salvage something if you don’t come back?”

  “I want you to try.”

  “It might get me killed.”

  “I know.”

  “This conversation could get me killed.”

  “I know.”

  Bashir paused, glancing at his desk. He had a picture of his wife on it. She was a beautiful woman, with long dark hair and exotic eyes. She had her hands on the shoulders of their daughter, so young and already as pretty as her mom.

  “I have a family, Sam.”

  “A lot of people in Metro have families, Ahran. I want to keep it that way.”

  Deputy Bashir put his hand to the photo. Prints like it didn’t come easily in the city, which only proved how much he adored them.

  “Okay. I’ll do it. I know you’re right.”

  “Thank you,” Sam said.

  Bashir nodded, scooping up the frame and quickly removing the print. He folded it and put it in his pants pocket. “For luck.”

  They made their way to the back of the office, toward the garage. The three officers were sitting against the wall on either side of the door, chatting when they arrived. The sudden appearance took them by surprise, and they jumped to their feet.

  “Sheriff Dante?” Caspar said. “What are you doing here?”

  “I need to go down into the armory,” Sam said.

  “Governor-General Stone isn’t allowing anyone down there without his direct permission. I can contact him to get it?”

  “I’ll be honest. I don’t have the Governor’s direct permission. But I still need to go down there.”

  “Sorry, Sheriff,” Gudru said, getting to her feet. “We can’t let you do that. I’m sure you understand.”

  “It’s not a question of whether I understand,” Sam replied. “It’s a question of whether you understand.”

  “What does that mean?” Wilks asked.

  “Things are happening here, Deputy. Things are changing faster than we can adjust. This time yesterday, you were on patrol in Metro, safe in the fact that we were safe in a bunker dozens of kilometers from the nearest trife. But it turns out that isn’t the truth. It turns out we’ve spent our entire lives in space, and now we’re on an alien planet forty light years from home. We’re all trying to come to grips with that reality, but that doesn’t mean we can ignore our original duty.”

  “What duty is that?” Gudru asked.

  “The law,” Sam said. “We have a duty to uphold the law. Protect the innocent and champion justice. Those directives are written in Metro’s protocols, and even Governor Stone can’t change them.”

  “What are you talking about, Sheriff?” Wilks said.

  “She’s talking about the Guardians,” Caspar said. “Governor Stone blamed them for bringing us here against our will.”

  “Because they did,” Gudru said.

  “No,” Sam said. “Our ancestors boarded the Deliverance willingly. Governor Stone’s family covered it up. They changed the narrative to keep the colony calm.”

  “Bullshit,” Gudru insisted. “They had no good reason to do that.”

  “They had their own reasons, most of which had to do with staying in control.“

  “How can you possibly know that?”

  “Because Governor Stone said it himself, in my presence, the first time we met Sergeant Card and his people.”

  “I was there,” Bashir said. “I heard him.”

  “So did I,” Caspar said.

  “What?” Wilks said. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

  “You know the Governor,” Caspar said. “You’re as afraid of what he might do to you or yours as we are.”

  “I don’t believe this,” Gudru said. “And even if it was true, what are you doing here, Sheriff? What’s the point? The people believe what Stone tells them.”

  “I believe I can prove it, but I need access to the armory.”

  “How is that going to prove anything?” Caspar asked.

  “The less you know, the better,” Sam replied. “All I’m asking is that you let me go down there and that you keep quiet about it. If I don’t find anything, there’s no harm done and nobody will ever know. If I do find something, then we’ll be doing our job and protecting innocent people from wrongful accusations. Where we are shouldn’t change what we stand for.”

  “I think the Governor should be aware of this,” Gudru said. “He should know you’re trying to soil his name.”

  “I’m trying to bring the truth out. Isn’t that the right thing to do? What happens if we have an enemy out there, on their way to attack us and we aren’t prepared?”

  “We’re in a tough spot here. Governor Stone is best equipped to help us through it. Ruining him won’t help anyone, except maybe you.”

  “What is that supposed to mean?”

  “I didn’t think I was being subtle. You want what Stone has. You want to be in charge.”

  “That’s ridiculous.”

  “Is it? Are you honestly telling me your ambition never went beyond Head Sheriff? Especially now that you’re a Colonel in the DDF?”

  “If that was true, I could have married into the Governor’s family years ago. That’s not where my ambitions lie. I want to give Metro the best chance at survival.”

  “Then go back to bed,” Gudru said. “There’s no reason for you to be here.”

  “I can’t. I need to get down into the armory.”

  “That isn’t happening. I’m going to let the Governor know you’re here.”

  Gudru started reaching for her badge. “Sasha, wait.” Caspar reached out and took her arm, stopping her. “Sheriff Dante’s right. We need to look into this.”

  “Let me go!” Gudru snapped, jerking her arm out of his grasp. “I’m contacting the Governor’s office.”

  “No, you aren’t,” Caspar insisted, quickly yanking her badge off her shirt.

  “Wilks.,” Sam said. “What do you say?”

  Wilkes hadn’t moved, taking in the back and forth. He stared at Sam for a moment and then nodded, turning his attention to Gudru. “Sheriff Dante is right, Sasha. If Stone lied about the Guardians, if he was going to have them executed in front of the people to protect his own ass, we have a responsibility to do something about it.”

  “You’re going to start another civil war, that’s what you’re going to do. When we least need to be fighting among ourselves.”

  “What kind of world do you want to create here?” Caspar said. “One ruled by a lying tyrant who will say whatever he has to and blame whoever he wants to get his way?”

  “Like I said,” Sam reiterated. “If I find nothing, then there’s nothing to find. But if I do find something…”

  Gudru bit her lip, then she nodded. “Okay. Fine. I have a family too, you know. They need me.”

  “And we need to be the voice of reason in the city,” Caspar said. “Sheriff Dante’s never let us down.”

  Gudru looked at Sam and nodded. “No, you haven’t. You can count me in. I promise I’ll keep my mouth shut. Law has to stick together, right?”

  “Right,” Sam said. “Thank you, Sasha. You too, Charlie.”

  “Good hunting, Sheriff,” Wilks replied.

  Chapter 38

  The garage had changed a lot from the first time Sam had entered it to now. All of the debris that had helped hide the secret armory was gone, cleaned out and moved to another area. The platform into the cache was locked in the down position, with access to the area provided by a hastily assembled temporary stairway. While the lift could carry heavier items up to the city, its general operation was slow, and the equipment the DDF wanted in the short-term, guns and armor, was easier to bring up by hand.

  Sam and Bashir took the stairs down into the armory. Sam heard Bashir gasp at the sight of the numerous military vehicles and the racks of firearms that had yet to be relocated. It was the same reaction everyone had when entering the area, so it was a response she was accustomed to.

  “This way,” she said, waving her hand to guide Bashir toward the back of the armory. The exit became visible as she came around the APC and suddenly experienced momentary panic. Had the Governor already decided to explore the deeper part of the deck? Had he accessed the terminal and already deleted every record that could incriminate him and his family in their deception of the colony?

  When they entered the corridor, a pungent smell of decay filled the air.

  “Uh. Sheriff,” Bashir said, his voice tight.

  Sam saw the dead trife too. “Sergeant Card and I put them down,” she said. “They attacked us the first time we came down.”

  “What are they?” Bashir managed to spit out.

  “Xenotrife,” she replied. “The enemy.”

  “Ugly. And terrifying.”

  “The good news is that it doesn’t look like anyone’s disturbed them.”

  “That’s good news?”

  “It means it’s less likely Stone hasn’t been through here.”

  “Right. How many of them did you kill?”

  “I think I got four. Sergeant Card killed the rest.”