Hayden glanced at Gray. He had missed the signs before, but he could see them now. She and Stacker were together.

  A pang of jealousy and sadness washed through him, but it didn’t take him long to shove it down. This was no place for that.

  “When we reach the spaceport,” Haeri said, “we’ll need to get to terminal eight. It’s a VIP terminal. Private luxury liners. Assuming my contact is there to meet us and isn’t a khoron or an Intellect, we won’t have to scan our IDs again, and we’ll be off the planet within the next twenty minutes.”

  “You expect it to be that easy?” Tora asked.

  “I don’t expect any of this to be easy, or you wouldn’t be here.”

  She smiled. “But I am here, so we’re going to make it.”

  “That’s the idea.”

  They fell into silence. The rest of the trip only took a few minutes, the carrier making three other stops on the way. Haeri signaled them when it was time to get off, and Hayden led the way out of the carrier and back to the platform. The spaceport was considered part of Dome Twelve but was located outside it—the main facility and terminals built underground with the cruisers resting on the planet’s surface. The walkway to the spaceport connected directly to the loop station, leaving them an easy walk to get inside.

  At least, it might have been easy if not for the dozen Peace Officers lined up at the entrance, forming a human barricade they would have to get through.

  42

  Caleb

  “Hold up,” Tora said. “Over here.”

  She guided the group to an area behind a wall, where a video of an odd-looking plush children’s toy was playing on a loop and making the bold claim that every chu-chi was cute-chi.

  In Caleb’s opinion, commercials hadn’t improved much in the last two hundred years.

  “That’s a problem,” Stacker said.

  “Not unexpected,” Haeri replied. “They aren’t going to let us go that easily.”

  “How do we get past them?” Gray asked.

  “There’s only one way I can think of,” Caleb said. “We make a scene, we lead them away. The rest of us go through.”

  “What if they don’t all leave their post?”

  “We can take care of a few of them before they can stop us. General, how far to the rendezvous point with your contact?”

  “Through the connector, turn left, up three decks, turn right. Not far.”

  “I think we can do it,” Caleb said.

  “But who’s going to lead them away?” Gray asked. “And how?”

  “What’s the last thing you and Jason had a fight about?” Haeri asked.

  “What?”

  “Moving,” Stacker said. “And family. Before all this went down, she wanted to go to a bigger place in A-District and look into starting a family.” He looked at Gray. “I told her we don’t have the money for that yet.”

  “I’m not getting any younger, Jason,” Gray said. “I’m not almost immortal like you are.”

  “It’s not my fault I’ve got these genes.”

  “It’s your fault you’re seventy years old and you don’t have any money saved.”

  “Are we really going to do this now?” Stacker asked.

  “Yes,” Haeri said. “You are going to do this now. As loudly and as violently as you can. Understood?”

  Gray and Stacker looked at him.

  “Over there,” he added, pointing to the center of the platform.

  “Yes, sir,” Stacker said.

  “There has to be another way,” Hayden said. “If the Peace Officers bring them to the Judici…”

  “There’s no other way, Sheriff,” Haeri said. “Colonel Card is right. We need a distraction. Jason, Nova, no offense to either of you, but you’re the most expendable resources we have.”

  “We understand, General,” Gray said. “We’ll make it convincing. Just be sure you make it worthwhile.”

  “I will,” Haeri said.

  “Good luck, Colonel,” Gray said. “You too…” She turned her head toward Hayden. “Sheriff?” He was gone.

  I think Sheriff Duke has a different plan.

  Caleb spun back toward the Peace Officers. Hayden was already halfway across the platform, headed right for them.

  “What is he doing?” Tora said.

  “From what I’ve heard, he does that sort of thing,” Caleb replied.

  “General, what do we do?” Stacker asked.

  Haeri was staring at Hayden’s back with an expression of disbelief. “Follow his lead.”

  Caleb started after Hayden, hanging a little behind him and watching as he approached the lane of travel between the guards. It was unsurprising when they moved into the open space to block him before he could pass.

  “ID?” one of the guards said.

  Hayden stopped and raised his arm. He let gravity pull the sleeve down, revealing his mechanical hand.

  “What the...” the guard managed to get out before the hand was in his face, punching him hard in the nose and sending him reeling.

  “Oh hell,” Stacker said.

  Caleb broke into a run, sprinting toward the officers, who immediately began reaching for batons. Hayden was already on to the next target, grabbing him in his good hand and lifting him off the ground before throwing him against the side of the tunnel. Then he spun the other direction, blocking a baton and kicking the officer trying to use it in the stomach. The force pushed him back, and Hayden turned again, suddenly catching stunners with his coat.

  Caleb reached the melee, grabbing the closest Peace Officer and stealing his stunner. He turned it in his grip, shooting the officer twice in his lightly protected neck.

  The officer grunted and collapsed, and Caleb went for the second one, adrenaline suddenly flooding his muscles. He grabbed the man’s wrist before he could jab him with a baton, turning the officer’s hand and pressing his thumb into a vulnerable nerve. The man dropped the weapon, and Caleb punched him in the chest, the force stealing all the wind from his lungs.

  Caleb scooped up the baton, lunging at another Officer while Hayden threw a hard punch at the fourth. The officer managed to get his arm up to block Hayden’s fist, which wound up broken as Hayden’s augment knocked it out of the way to hit him in the side of the head. The Officer dropped like a lead weight.

  Tora and Stacker got there next. The small woman was like a tornado, blowing through the officers, her enhanced strength and dexterity overwhelming their limited training. Stacker used his size to great effect, pummeling the officers and throwing them to the ground.

  It was over in seconds, the group leaving the dozen officers on the ground, injured but alive. Hayden leaned over one of them, scooping up his comm.

  “Sorry about this,” Caleb heard him say. “Nothing personal. I’m like you. Just doing my job.”

  Hayden left the man, walking down the connecting corridor. Caleb had to jog to catch up to him. “Sheriff,” he said, getting Hayden’s attention. “This wasn’t the—”

  “I’m not part of your little club, Colonel,” Hayden replied, cutting him off. “I don’t have to play by Haeri’s rules.” He looked at Caleb, eyes on fire. “I’m not leaving anyone behind to be fed to those sons of bitches.”

  He has a point.

  “Roger that, Sheriff,” Caleb replied. “You should have given me a signal. I would have been here to help you sooner.”

  Hayden smiled, reaching up and tipping his hat. “Pozz. Next time.”

  Caleb smiled back. “Next time.”

  As they made their way into the spaceport, Haeri caught up to them. He led them in the right direction without saying a word to Hayden. Caleb respected the general for adjusting to the change of plans, rather than railing against it. Hayden was right, he hadn’t promised Haeri anything, and he didn’t have to listen to the man’s orders.

  They reached the end of the connector, and the comm Hayden had taken started beeping.

  “There it is,” Haeri said in response to the high-pitched tone. “Someone triggered the alarm.”

  Hayden nodded. “Figured they would. What now?”

  Tora moved ahead of them, glancing back. “Now we run.”

  43

  Caleb

  Caleb looked back as the Peace Officers emerged from the lift at the end of the hallway. They weren’t like the officers he and the others had taken out at the connector. They were a SWAT team, fully armed and armored, and ready to do whatever it took to stop their escape.

  “General,” Caleb said, getting Haeri’s attention.

  Haeri looked back. The SWAT team was right behind them, trailed by another squad of regular Peace Officers. They were nearing the end of the line, charging toward a sealed door at the end of a short corridor that led to the private launch area. Getting through the door didn’t mean they were safe, but it would give them a bit more lead time.

  Only the door was locked tight, and as far as Caleb knew they had no way to open it.

  “Keep them busy,” Haeri said, gaining a little more speed and sprinting ahead. In truth, Haeri was holding them back, his unenhanced genetics making him the slowest of the group. The rest of them eased off their maximum velocities, staying with him during the chase.

  They slowed even more, letting the general get well ahead of them to be the first to the door.

  “Don’t hurt them,” Hayden said, at the same time he drew his revolver and turned sideways, holding his arm out and tilting his head to aim. He fired three rounds that whipped past the officers, close enough to slow them down as they raised their protective shields.

  Caleb drew his pistol and started shooting, intentionally hitting the transparent barriers to keep the officers honest. Gray, Stacker and Tora joined them a moment later, dozens of rounds smacking into the officer’s defenses, slowing their advance.

  Caleb, one of them is a khoron.

  He wasn’t surprised. Maybe they could use that to their advantage.

  Between the rest I had and the fear from the civilians during the evacuation, I’m feeling quite strong now.

  Caleb smiled. Should they switch roles?

  No. I’ve got this.

  A perception of laughter echoed through Caleb’s mind.

  He watched as one of the SWAT members suddenly turned, swinging his shield into the team member to his left. The officer fell down, hesitating to confront his squadmate, who spun back and repeated the maneuver on the other side. He knocked the other SWAT team members down, one after another.

  “Hold your fire,” Hayden said, raising his revolver. He opened the chamber and dumped the spent casings, quickly reloading the weapon.

  The Peace Officers were shouting at the suddenly rogue officer. trying to subdue him. He threw wild punches and kicks at his teammates, seemingly for no reason. Caleb felt only light pressure in his mind, proof that Ishek was indeed well-rested and well-fed.

  “Flint, are you there?” Caleb heard Haeri say. The general was in front of the locked door, using the comm. “This is Haeri. Open the door.”

  “General Haeri,” a man who had to be Flint replied. “You weren’t supposed to bring half the Praeton PO department here with you. Nevermind half the frickin Centurion military and the darned Judici too. You’re toxic, General. Poison.”

  “Flint,” Haeri said calmly. “It’s ugly out here. Open the door.”

  “I can see it’s ugly, which is why I don’t want to open the door. I have a business, Aeron. I have a reputation. If the PO connects me to this, I’m going to lose it all.”

  “You do understand that the planet is being invaded, do you not? I wouldn’t have sent in the code for any other reason. If you don’t open the door and take us where I want to go, you’ll lose a hell of a lot more than your business.”

  He’s down.

  Caleb looked back at the khoron-infected officer. The others had finally subdued him and were about to rejoin their effort to stop the escape.

  Haeri noticed too. “Open the door, Flint. Now!”

  The last word was a crisp, perfectly executed bark that nearly forced Caleb into attention.

  The door slid open, revealing a short, slightly overweight man with a thick black beard and a bald head. He was dressed in a collared shirt with an orange scaley vest and black pants. He held a small rectangular device in his hand.

  “Let’s go, then,” Flint said, eyes shifting to the Peace Officers.

  Haeri hurried through the doorway, the others following close behind. The SWAT team sensed they were getting away. Dropping their shields, they leveled their weapons and fired down the hallway, stun rounds hitting Caleb’s coat with no effect.

  Flint tapped on the device he was holding, and the door slid closed. He tapped it again, and a loud thunk from the mechanism suggested the door wouldn’t open again anytime soon.

  “I’m not happy about this,” Flint said, turning away from the group. “Not at all.”

  “And I am?” Haeri said.

  The door clanged as the Peace Officers reached it, trying to get it to open.

  “I take it that door will hold?” Sergeant Gray asked.

  “Yeah, it’s fine,” Flint replied gruffly. “Bastards aren’t getting in here.”

  “Can we pick up the pace?” Haeri said. “They’re going to shut down departures any minute.”

  Flint stopped and turned back around. “They already did, Aeron. I can take you to my ship, but we aren’t going anywhere.”

  “What?” Stacker said.

  “That’s not an option,” Haeri said. “We need to get to Rig Six.”

  Flint laughed. “I own a yacht, Aeron. Not a starfighter. Not a battleship. A frickin luxury cruiser. I’m not launching during a lockdown and letting the CSF blast us out of the sky.”

  “You can’t convince me your cruiser is above board,” Haeri replied. “You don’t do anything above board.”

  Flint glared at him. “It’s not worth the risk to my life.”

  Tora shot forward, grabbing Flint before he could react and putting him in a tight chokehold. “I’m running out of patience,” she hissed at him. “We risked our lives getting here. You’re going to risk yours getting us out of here. Or I can end your life right here and now and save you the small probability you’ll survive.”

  Flint’s eyes pleaded with Haeri. “Call off your attack bitch, will you?”

  Tora tightened her hold on his neck. “Who are you calling a bitch?”

  “Who are you calling a bitch, Flint?” Haeri said, staring at him. “You should be more polite when you’re talking about someone who’s in a position to break your neck.”

  “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. The pressure’s getting to me. Fine. Let me go. You want to get blown up, we can get blown up. Just let me breathe.”

  Haeri nodded, and Tora let Flint go. He heaved as he grabbed at his neck, feeling for lasting damage.

  “You’re frickin crazy, you know that? I never should have signed that damned contract.”

  “You took the risk, and you’ve reaped the rewards for a long time.”

  “Not long enough. To be honest, I didn’t believe you’d ever need me.”

  “I know. But I do. We all do. You’ve got the future of humankind in your hands, Flint.”

  “Lucky me.”

  44

  Caleb

  The door ahead of Caleb and the others slid open, revealing a looping ramp leading to an angled shutter at the top of the room. Flint kept running, already breathing hard from the uncommon exertion as he guided them toward the shutter.

  He used the remote device to open it as he neared. The metal wedges turned and tucked away into their housing, revealing a small, transparent junction between the underground part of the spaceport and his luxury starcruiser. The corridor slanted upwards, rising two meters to a large hatch in the side of the craft.

  “There she is,” Flint thundered without turning around. “Ain’t she gorgeous?”

  Caleb shifted his attention through the transparency to the starship resting beyond it. He couldn’t argue with Flint’s assessment. From a purely aesthetic perspective, the cruiser was gorgeous. Sleek and slender, long and rounded in all the right places. It didn’t have wings to speak of, so much as the fuselage gently sloped outward, creating a shape that reminded Caleb of a manta ray. Except instead of a tail, it had four massive thrusters that bulged out from the back-end.

  “You were giving me shit about evading the CSF?” Haeri said, looking at the ship. “Those aren’t stock.”

  “It’s a recent upgrade,” Flint said. “Space gets a little boring after a while.”

  “Speak for yourself,” Hayden said. Caleb noticed him staring at the spacecraft with a mixture of fear, curiosity and excitement.

  “You shouldn’t have any troubles outmaneuvering a Stiletto with those ion pushers,” Tora said. “I bet we can outrun anything the CSF throws at us.”

  “Let’s hope so,” Flint said, leading them through the junction and up to the hatch. “Cena, honey, I’m home.”

  “Welcome back, Leyland,” a woman’s voice said through hidden speakers.

  “We’re heading out for a run,” Flint said. “Can you prep the reactor?”

  “Leyland, the Proxima Peace Office has temporarily shut down the spaceport to outgoing ships. Prepping the reactor now would be a waste of energy.”

  “I understand that, sweetie. Just do it.”

  “If that’s what you want.”

  Flint looked back at them. “What do you think? Latest onboard AI. I don’t have to touch the controls anymore if I don’t want to.”

  “It’s wonderful, Flint,” Haeri replied, unimpressed. “I assume you can override it so it will let us lift off?”

  “Of course. She answers to me, not the PO.”

  The inside of the cruiser was composed of almost sterile white walls matched with faux wood flooring which extended through the entirety of the first deck cargo hold. The hold was as clean as any Caleb had ever seen, the floor polished, the supplies neatly stacked and secured against the bulkheads. Gently color-changing running lights marked the corridor between the hatch and the stairs leading to the main deck, creating a sense of peacefulness to the space that betrayed their current predicament.