Just as Wills predicted.
8
The Price of Silence
Once Dred called for her two lieutenants, they set off for Entropy, a pretentious name for Silence’s zone. The princess in chains ran a tight ship, so to speak. She murmured greetings to men they passed, some roaming from the dormitories to the main hall, others heading back. From what Jael could tell, she knew their names, and they were courteous to her. It took a strong woman to earn the respect of convicts so brutal they’d been sentenced to die without ever again feeling the sun on their skin.
Me, included.
“I’ll take my turn on patrol,” he said then, “but I’d also like to work in the hydroponics garden if there’s somebody willing to show me what to do.”
Tameron aimed a surprised look at him. “Unexpected. But I can show you the ropes tomorrow.”
“Thanks.”
Dred was watching him, too, her expression inscrutable. But she didn’t comment. Which was good because he couldn’t explain the impulse. He couldn’t recall ever helping anything to flower. In his life, he’d only ever rolled through like a Peacemaker unit, leaving destruction in his wake. After so many turns in solitary in the Bug prison and now this place, it seemed like time to change that.
On the way, he noted the guards who patrolled Dred’s territory; they looked attentive, though he’d tighten up their passes and vary the length of time between them. If you ran things with too much precision, people learned to work around the security measures. But he’d talk to Dred in private, later. She might take exception to his critical evaluation of her system.
“The border’s coming up,” she said eventually. “We wouldn’t be doing this if it wasn’t important. But if we’re spotted, fight for your lives. Grigor catches us, and we end up dead.”
“Understood,” Einar answered.
Tam only nodded, then she went on, “It will be safest if we go through the maintenance shafts and stay out of the main corridors. Is that a problem for anybody?”
“Not for me,” Jael answered.
“I might be too loud.” Einar stood quiet, waiting for her judgment.
Her strong features went thoughtful. She wasn’t beautiful, but her fierceness drew the eye. Sometimes strength was better than beauty, especially in a place like this. “Head back and keep the others on point. Keep a sharp eye on our perimeters, especially all access points near the garden.”
“Will do,” Einar muttered.
He turned and strode away. Jael could tell he wasn’t pleased, but at least the man knew his limitations. Not that Jael would mind a fight. Dred didn’t realize what an asset she’d acquired, but for the moment, it was nice being treated like a person, not a weapon. That would change soon enough.
“Here,” she said after they’d walked for a while. “Boost Tam so he can open the panel.”
“As you command, queenie,” he said with a touch of irony.
He’d never been good at taking orders unless they came with a fat payday. Yet he still cupped his hands and tossed the other man up; Tam latched onto the rungs bolted into the side high on the wall. The man fiddled with the latches, then it opened. He climbed in without waiting for the order, which made Jael think he traveled this way a lot. He tossed Dred up next, and she peered over her shoulder at him.
“Can you—”
Before she could complete the question, he took a few steps back for a running start and launched himself up. His thighs were deceptively strong, and he landed right below her, close enough to feel the heat of her body, her braids brushing against his shoulders. His whole body reacted. It’s only because it’s been so long, he told himself. With effort, he slowed his breathing and denied the response.
“Stay close,” she said.
The shafts were dark and cold, coated with old mining dust. Ahead, Tam forged a certain trail, cutting left and right with no hesitation; sometimes they dropped down a level via more rungs bolted to the wall. In places the metal was unsteady, rusted, and he didn’t like putting his whole weight on it. There was no way to be sure how far the drop would be should a bar tear free and send him plummeting. Jael wished being hard to kill meant immunity to fright, but he could still fear things even when he knew they couldn’t end him.
“If we can sneak around like this,” he whispered eventually, “so can they. Do you monitor the access points?”
She cast a scornful look over one shoulder. “Of course. I can’t keep them from passing through, but if they drop out in my zone, I handle it.”
Tam said nothing, likely focused on making sure they didn’t get lost. He was small and quick, an excellent guide. Jael imagined that the other man had memorized where the ducts traveled and the best places to emerge. Countless moments later, he opened a panel and disappeared from sight.
Jael sighed. “He doesn’t talk much.”
“You could learn from him.”
“It’s part of my charm.”
“In here, ‘charm’ will get you killed.”
“I should be so lucky,” he muttered.
“One of these days, I’ll ask why you’re so in love with the prospect of dying.”
He cocked a half smile, knowing most women hated that look. It was the one he saved for when they realized he had no intention of promising anything other than the ferocious hour they’d spent clawing and biting. “And I might tell you if you ask me sweetly enough.”
“Not going to happen.”
“You should try everything once.”
“Not that,” she said.
Now he wasn’t sure if they were talking about death or her employing wiles to get at his truths. She was an intriguing woman. As he wondered, she dropped out of sight, and he followed. This portion of the ship looked decidedly different. The walls were streaked dark, paint of some kind, making the metal look ominous and laser-scarred.
“This is the border between Grigor and Silence’s territory,” she said.
Jael hadn’t really believed the ship could look much different from zone to zone, but double black lines were painted on the floor and walls, and primitive fencing had been erected. Four men waited on the other side, pale and quiet. On this side, the walls had red characters on them, an old alphabet he knew was called Cyrillic, though he couldn’t recall where he’d learned that bit of trivia. From Surge, maybe, one of the mercs he’d served with on Nicu Tertius.
Tam stepped forward and signed to the sentries. So Dred wasn’t kidding when she said they take a vow of silence. That would get old . . . and creepy, fast. A few minutes later, Tameron nodded and stepped back as the guards opened the gate.