Athena’s Ashes (Star Thief Chronicles #2)(18)
Author: Jamie Grey

They’d all die anyway.

ELEVEN

Back on the Eris, Jayla paused in the CIC to address her crew. “Prep for immediate takeoff. Once I’ve debriefed with Major Dallas, I want to be ready to head directly for wherever he assigns us.” Jayla was completely in control and in command, but beneath her confident exterior, Renna saw the flash of fear in the woman’s eyes. Someone had attacked her family. She was getting ready for battle.

The crew scrambled to complete her orders, and Jayla turned to her pilot. “I’m headed to the comm room. Patch Major Dallas through, Tevsi.”

The pilot nodded, but the commander had already spun on her heel and marched toward the back of the ship. Renna exchanged a worried glance with Blake, and they followed close behind.

Jayla took her place in front of a console in the comm room in parade rest, but every line of her body sung with tension.

Dread gnawed through Renna’s gut, nervous energy making her muscles twitch. If she’d been alone, she would have paced back and forth in the small space, but Jayla looked like she was about to crack. Setting the woman off would not help the situation. Instead, Renna played with the ends of her hair and stared at the smooth, chrome walls. Pallas had to be behind the attack. But why had he finally struck?

Renna’s fingers froze, wrapped around her dark strands. Sherle’s files. Dammit. She hadn’t even thought to check for a tracer. Fucking rookie mistake. What the hell was wrong with her?

The image of Major Dallas filled the screen as the hologram shimmered to life. Renna tried to focus instead of cursing at herself.

“Commander, where the hell have you been?” he demanded. Behind him, the air was hazy, as if filled with smoke.

Jayla saluted. “Sir, we were following a lead on the Athena. We returned to the ship as soon as we got word. What happened?” She stood stiffly, her spine locked into perfect military posture, but one boot tapped against the metal floor.

Dallas’s lips thinned. “Our facility has been attacked. The place is in chaos. Major Larson is missing, along with several high-ranking officials.” He paused, and his gaze finally steadied on Renna. “As well as the entire medical team.”

Renna’s lungs clenched as all of the oxygen was sucked out of the room. “Dr. Samil?”

“Gone. Along with all of the experimental drugs she was working on. Including yours.”

Renna sat down heavily on the chair beside her as her knees gave out. Pallas knew. This was retaliation for Renna’s investigation. Could she risk telling Dallas the truth now, too? Could he help them stop the traitor?

But the thought still haunted her—what if he was the traitor himself? What if this was all an act to get her to slip up and show her hand? She’d already told Jayla and Blake. That had to be enough.

Jayla flashed Renna a look of worry but turned back to Dallas. “What’s going on there? What do you need?”

“I need you to get to the bottom of this. I’m starting to wonder if it’s connected to Finn and the Athena. What did you find out on Crius Beta?”

The commander glanced between Renna and the holocomm. Waiting for Renna to tell him the truth.

Fear stroked its icy fingers against her neck, and Renna shivered. She couldn’t do it. She couldn’t have those lives on her head if Dallas was the traitor. She’d have to stall him somehow.

“Sir,” she started. “We discovered Titan Industries, a manufacturing company, is a MYTH front for scientific research. They’re developing a communication device that will allow instant communications across the galaxy.”

Dallas eyebrows furrowed. “What does that have to do with Captain Finn?”

Renna stood up, forcing herself to remain calm. “Nothing as far as we know, but it may have something to do with the hybrid army Dr. Navang was building.”

“I thought that was finished,” Dallas protested. “Navang is dead, and his facility is destroyed. There are no more hybrids.” He paused. “Other than you and the boy.”

“But what if he was working with someone else? Someone who’s not ready to let the plan go?” Renna suggested. It was as close to the truth as she could get without spilling everything to him.

Jayla frowned at her but stayed silent, thank the gods.

Major Dallas sighed noisily. “Whatever the hell is going on, we need to figure it out now. Before another facility is attacked.”

“Do you have any leads on who could have done this?” Renna asked.

“It had to be an inside job, I’m afraid. No one else could have gotten past our defenses.” His forehead wrinkled with a frown. “But it doesn’t make sense. Why? Who?”

Lieutenant Blake met her gaze across the room and nodded at her imperceptibly. Relief flooded through Renna. They were going to play along for now.

“Perhaps they’re all connected,” the lieutenant suggested. “If someone inside MYTH was working for Navang, it would explain why they were able to get a hold of Myka Aldani in the first place and how they knew about his…alterations.”

Dallas was silent, and Renna glanced at Blake in surprise. The guy was hot and smart.

“You may be right, Lieutenant,” Dallas finally continued. “But while we try to uncover what’s really going on here, I have a different mission for you. Find and rescue the medical team. It’s the only thing we have a lead on right now and the only thing that will keep Renna alive long enough to help us figure out the rest of this.”

“A lead, sir?” Jayla asked.

“Yes, this came in a few minutes ago.” The holoscreen flickered as Dallas typed something into the controls. The image solidified into a woman with blonde hair sitting in front of a screen. Her features were blurred enough that Renna couldn’t quite make her out, but as soon as she opened her mouth, Renna sucked in a sharp breath.

“This is Dr. Thana Samil. I am issuing distress code VANI. Please rendezvous at the following coordinates as soon as you can.” In a trembling voice, she rattled off a series of coordinates, then shifted closer to the camera. A dark bruise marred the left side of her face, and her eyes looked bloodshot and exhausted as they flicked to someone off camera. “It’s a matter of life and death,” she whispered before the screen went black.

“How did she get this out to you?” Renna asked. “If she was kidnapped, why would they have let her near a comm device?”

Jayla chewed her bottom lip. “I don’t know, but I don’t like it. It feels like someone is setting a trap.”