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done.’
    She stiffened, then relaxed against him.
    He took a deep breath. Here goes.
    â€˜I’ve never met anyone like you. And you affect me, somehow. I don’t want this to end here today. And not just because I don’t want to die. I want to know you. And it’s not because you’re exotic, or novel. It’s because you’re the bravest person I’ve ever met.’
    She smiled into his eyes. ‘Because I can dispatch a Medusio?’
    â€˜No.’ She frowned and he sighed. ‘Well, yes, of course, that. But more because you were so alone, and you survived. And you’re so…’ He grasped for the right word. Why was it so damn hard? ‘You’re so whole. Determined. And strong.’
    She dipped her head and rested it against his chest.
    Long moments passed, and he fretted that it had come out wrong. But if this was the end, he was going to enjoy it. He stroked her back softly as she lay against him, and marvelled again at the silkiness of her skin.
    Finally, she brought her head up from his chest. ‘There was a woman,’ she said, her voice so soft Reetor had to strain to hear it, even at such close quarters. ‘An old woman. I don’t know why they kept her. She performed menial tasks on the slave farm. She was the only other person from Earth there.’ There was a long pause. ‘She told me what I was.’
    â€˜She took care of you?’ Reetor’s heart lightened. It seemed there had been someone for the girl, after all.
    â€˜No,’ the girl barked, her voice breaking a little. ‘She was broken. But she pointed me in the right directions. The rest I did alone. The material is there — about Earth — if you look in the right places.’
    Reetor pulled her into him again. So much loneliness. He wanted to make sure she was never alone again, but as he squeezed her against him, she took a sharp breath.
    â€˜Your injury.’ His mind raced. They needed to hurry. ‘We need to get you to help.’
    â€˜We?’ She pulled away from him and rolled to sit cross-legged, close to him. ‘That was not the plan.’
    He sat up as well and took her hands. ‘There could be a new plan.’
    â€˜Because you don’t want to die.’ Her face was set hard.
    â€˜Because I don’t want either of us to die. Not today.’
    She didn’t speak, but studied his face intently.
    He tried again. ‘You said you want away from them.’ He held up his hands in appeal. ‘You said you want them all dead.’
    â€˜There is no away from them.’ Her voice was hard. ‘There is nowhere to run.’
    â€˜It’s not true,’ Reetor objected. ‘I found a place. A place I could be safe.’
    She frowned, and gestured to the console. ‘The place in the video? You will not be safe there anymore.’
    â€˜But you could be,’ he said, squeezing her hands hard. He believed it. X would want this girl, he knew it. Her knowledge, her skills … and the Enforcers had never found him, there in the Bunker on Tyver. ‘You need to take the chance. I can take you there.’
    â€˜They’ll kill you,’ she said, reaching over to place the flat of one hand against his chest. ‘The file was clear. If you return, you’re dead.’
    He swallowed hard. ‘I’ll take my chances.’
    â€˜For me?’ That frown creased her smooth forehead again, like a blemish he wanted to smooth away.
    â€˜For the chance to know you a little better.’
    She edged forward and placed herself in his lap, her legs wrapped over his, their faces almost touching.
    â€˜I’ll come with you,’ she said, reaching up to touch his hair. ‘But not to there.’
    He started to object but this time she placed her finger on his lips and spoke softly. ‘Where were you going?’
    His stomach churned as he thought about the mission. It was so important. ‘I