Starfall (Starflight #2)(50)

“Nothing.” She thumbed at the Eturian cruiser. “Give me a minute to say good-bye.”

“Make it quick.”

Turning her back to the sun, she faced the pasture where the crew had met last night to discuss what Doran and Solara had found at the settlement. The infected settlers had suffered identical symptoms to those on Eturia, and like Kane’s mother, many of them had worsened and then abruptly bounced back. But in a strange twist, all of them had vanished on the same night—fifty men and women gone with no sign of a struggle. It was as though they’d teleported from their beds into an alternate dimension.

The group had decided the Banshee would continue to New Atlantia to investigate another outbreak while Jordan and his soldiers returned to Eturia to delve deeper into Marius’s partnership with the mafia…or at least that was what Cassia had claimed. In truth, Jordan was returning home to plan a rebel sting. She’d chosen not to share that information with Kane for reasons she refused to examine too closely.

“There you are,” Jordan called to her from the top of the boarding ramp. He descended the ramp and met her at the base. “I was about to come find you.”

“How’s the, uh…” She pointed at his lower abdomen, trying not to think about the tense moment that had passed between them when she’d bandaged it.

He lifted his shirt hem. All that remained of the gash was a thin pink scar. “Good as new. You’re a queen of many talents.”

“Hey, wrap it up,” Kane hollered from the Banshee’s open cargo hold. He flashed both palms when Cassia glared at him. “Don’t shoot the messenger. Renny said it’s time to lift off.” He gave Jordan a fake salute. “General, I can’t tell you how sad I am to see you go. Sorry about your Hypersonic Deluxe. No hard feelings, right?”

Jordan groaned and muttered something under his breath.

“Sorry,” Cassia whispered. “I know he can be grating, but—”

“But deep down he’s a great guy?”

“Well, usually, yes.”

Jordan backed up the ramp. He didn’t say anything more, but he used his gaze to send a silent message that she should remember his warning.

She nodded in a silent reply.

As if she could forget.



Several hours later, she left her quarters to make a pot of coffee. She found it odd that she didn’t pass anyone in the hallway, but she didn’t think much about it until she reached the galley and glanced up at the wall’s clock display. There were several throughout the ship, each showing the time, date, and current coordinates. According to this one, the ship was traveling away from New Atlantia instead of toward it.

She climbed the stairs to the pilothouse, expecting to find Renny, but she stopped short when she discovered the whole crew inside, even Arabelle, who seemed to have warmed up to the captain, judging by her position atop his knee. Kane occupied the copilot’s chair, and Doran and Solara sat on the floor with their backs against the wall.

“Are you having a meeting without me?”

The dashboard lights told her Renny had already set the autopilot, but he pretended to set it again. “No, just talking.”

“About?”

“Taking a small detour.”

“That’s why I came up here,” she said. “We’re going the wrong way.”

“I need to make a quick stop.” Renny slid his eyes toward her. “On Vega.”

Vega?

Fear tightened her airway. She could almost hear the rustle of soybean leaves and the crack of breaking stems. She had never intended to go back there. She didn’t know if she could stand to see that settlement again. Just thinking about the saltbox shops and the dusty streets made it hard to breathe.

“Why?” she asked.

“There was a problem with our last delivery payment.”

“And you have to deal with it now?”

Kane stood up from the copilot’s chair and stepped over an obstacle course of legs and feet until he reached her at the doorway. He took her elbow and guided her away from the group into the bridge. “You can stay on the ship,” he said in her ear. “You don’t even have to look out the window if you don’t want to. The whole thing won’t take more than an hour.”

She released a quiet breath.

“Renny wants me with him at the warehouse, but I’ll stay here if you need me.” His thumb brushed the sensitive bend of her arm. “Just say the word.”

“I’ll be fine,” she told him. As long as she didn’t have to leave the ship, she could pretend she was anywhere.

“Arabelle’s staying on board, too.” Kane dropped his voice to a whisper. “She offered to scan the ship for trackers and bugs. Maybe you should help her. It’s a big job for one person, know what I mean?”

She understood the subtext, but she didn’t share his suspicion. Whatever means Fleece had used to spy on them, she doubted Arabelle was involved. Arabelle had no motive to help Fleece, and besides, she’d never asked the crew to bring her aboard. They’d literally snatched her and run. But to placate Kane, she told him, “Sure, I’ll go charge the scanner.”



Kane watched Cassia descend the stairs before he rejoined the crew and shut the pilothouse door. “She’s gone.”