something.
She noted how methodical they were, how precise. The mercenary commander had joined forces with the Dread Queen, and now they both had a reason to fear. Wearing an expression that was
almost
a smile, she kept pace as they moved, just out of sight. It pleased her to glide into the shadows just seconds before the manâs eyes focused.
He sensed her. Discomfort showed in the hunch of his shouldersâin the way he scanned the corners. She held still.
You know Iâm here, donât you, prey?
As he brushed past, she silently sliced a lock of his hair and brought it to her nostrils. He hadnât washed recently, and there was a hint of smoke, oil. Silence curled a fist around the lock. The male paused. He said something to the Dread Queen, who lifted her head like an animal scenting threat on the wind. Except there was none, only the rumble of the recyclers.
Anyone with any sense of self-preservation would have slipped away. Instead, Silence moved in closer, stepping as they stepped, breathing as they breathed. So she was near enough to hear the male exclaim, âI found it.â
Found what?
With the Dread Queenâs help, he pulled a crate out from under an upended shell of a broken Peacemaker chassis. Then the other woman beamed. Silence wouldâve liked to widen that smile at the edges, peel it away in a shining wash of red, until there was only slivers of bone. But she didnât move. Sometimes, information was more vital than personal satisfaction.
âWe canât build a ship without this,â the Dread Queen said, indicating something in the box outside of Silenceâs field of vision.
So thatâs your intent. Youâll craft a vessel and sail away?
Considering, Silence mentally adjusted her plans. And smiled.
7
Hunting for Payback
A bad feeling plagued Dred all the way back.
The explosion mightâve been a failure in station systems, but she didnât think so. Something about the attack felt premeditated, and they wouldnât find out the truth until all members of the group were accounted for. Returning to base camp felt twice as long, and she couldnât relax until they popped out of the depths and found Jael already waiting, joking with Hex on the other side of the room.
A breath she didnât even realize she was holding slipped out in a sigh. Hex was unharmed, apparently unconcerned by the explosion. Jael mustâve heard it, considering he had the same acute senses as Dred, but he gave no sign. That was probably for the best, all things considered.
âLetâs see your inventory,â she said.
Jael pushed to his feet and crossed to meet her. He handed her a scrap of paper etched in what looked like charcoal. Dred skimmed the list with an appraising eye.
Vost came up to stand at her shoulder, reading along with her. âLooks like you found some good shit,â he observed.
âWhat about you?â Jael asked.
Dred handed over the list. Before Jael was done inspecting it, Hex snatched it out of his hands. âNice. I canât believe your friend stashed a power converter. Thatâll help.â
âWhereâs everyone else?â Vost wanted to know.
Hex shrugged. âNot sure. We were the first ones back.â
While they were waiting, Dred put together a meal. If the others ran into trouble, they would want some food when they got back. Sure enough, Calypso and Duran were hungry when they arrived about an hour later. Their inventory was the most promising yet, containing several parts that needed to be moved to the docking bay. So far nothing was big enough that it required a hover dolly, and most of it could be transported through the ducts.
Nice stroke of luck, that.
Another hour passed before Keelah showed up, with Redmond leaning heavily on her shoulder. They were both covered in blood, and the merc looked like he had narrowly escaped having his throat cut. Questions could wait. Dred sprang into action,
She noted how methodical they were, how precise. The mercenary commander had joined forces with the Dread Queen, and now they both had a reason to fear. Wearing an expression that was
almost
a smile, she kept pace as they moved, just out of sight. It pleased her to glide into the shadows just seconds before the manâs eyes focused.
He sensed her. Discomfort showed in the hunch of his shouldersâin the way he scanned the corners. She held still.
You know Iâm here, donât you, prey?
As he brushed past, she silently sliced a lock of his hair and brought it to her nostrils. He hadnât washed recently, and there was a hint of smoke, oil. Silence curled a fist around the lock. The male paused. He said something to the Dread Queen, who lifted her head like an animal scenting threat on the wind. Except there was none, only the rumble of the recyclers.
Anyone with any sense of self-preservation would have slipped away. Instead, Silence moved in closer, stepping as they stepped, breathing as they breathed. So she was near enough to hear the male exclaim, âI found it.â
Found what?
With the Dread Queenâs help, he pulled a crate out from under an upended shell of a broken Peacemaker chassis. Then the other woman beamed. Silence wouldâve liked to widen that smile at the edges, peel it away in a shining wash of red, until there was only slivers of bone. But she didnât move. Sometimes, information was more vital than personal satisfaction.
âWe canât build a ship without this,â the Dread Queen said, indicating something in the box outside of Silenceâs field of vision.
So thatâs your intent. Youâll craft a vessel and sail away?
Considering, Silence mentally adjusted her plans. And smiled.
7
Hunting for Payback
A bad feeling plagued Dred all the way back.
The explosion mightâve been a failure in station systems, but she didnât think so. Something about the attack felt premeditated, and they wouldnât find out the truth until all members of the group were accounted for. Returning to base camp felt twice as long, and she couldnât relax until they popped out of the depths and found Jael already waiting, joking with Hex on the other side of the room.
A breath she didnât even realize she was holding slipped out in a sigh. Hex was unharmed, apparently unconcerned by the explosion. Jael mustâve heard it, considering he had the same acute senses as Dred, but he gave no sign. That was probably for the best, all things considered.
âLetâs see your inventory,â she said.
Jael pushed to his feet and crossed to meet her. He handed her a scrap of paper etched in what looked like charcoal. Dred skimmed the list with an appraising eye.
Vost came up to stand at her shoulder, reading along with her. âLooks like you found some good shit,â he observed.
âWhat about you?â Jael asked.
Dred handed over the list. Before Jael was done inspecting it, Hex snatched it out of his hands. âNice. I canât believe your friend stashed a power converter. Thatâll help.â
âWhereâs everyone else?â Vost wanted to know.
Hex shrugged. âNot sure. We were the first ones back.â
While they were waiting, Dred put together a meal. If the others ran into trouble, they would want some food when they got back. Sure enough, Calypso and Duran were hungry when they arrived about an hour later. Their inventory was the most promising yet, containing several parts that needed to be moved to the docking bay. So far nothing was big enough that it required a hover dolly, and most of it could be transported through the ducts.
Nice stroke of luck, that.
Another hour passed before Keelah showed up, with Redmond leaning heavily on her shoulder. They were both covered in blood, and the merc looked like he had narrowly escaped having his throat cut. Questions could wait. Dred sprang into action,
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