Rogue Pursuit: A Space Opera Adventure (Shades of Starlight Book 1), page 9
Tai wished he had his mom’s gear. The river below was a broad black swath, sparkling with lights from the hotels. The bulge of the room put them square over the water.
“We have to jump.” He hoped the water was as deep as it appeared.
She steeled her expression. “Okay.”
She didn’t hesitate to join him at the window. He helped her onto the ledge and stepped up beside her.
“Three, two, one,” he said, and jumped.
Air whistled around him. His stomach stayed behind for a second before gravity caught up. It might’ve been his imagination, but he thought he was falling slower than normal thanks to the planet’s light gravity. He put his feet together and plugged his nose a second before he hit the water.
The impact wedged his clothes into uncomfortable places. The current sucked him down. He kicked, and his leg connected with something. Perrin’s limbs tangled with his as they scrambled for the surface.
He popped up, drew a deep breath.
A second later, Perrin surfaced beside him.
She coughed once. “You forgot to ask if I can swim.”
His pounding heart stuttered. “Shades, can you?”
In reply, she kicked and headed for the nearby bridge with steady strokes.
He grunted, breathed once more, and followed. She couldn’t let anything be easy, a trait he found both annoying and intriguing. As he caught up, a light from above flickered over the surface of the river. He tugged Perrin’s arm, and they ducked under for several long seconds. When the light vanished, they resumed their course to the cover offered by the bridge, a series of gently curving waves in pale silver metal.
He hauled himself onto the bank under the bridge’s shadow. Piles of large round moonstones that glowed pale white and gold lined the river. He extended a hand.
She ignored it, clambering up on her own, hair plastered to her face, the dress clinging to her in distracting ways. He forced his gaze away.
The light from the hotels lining the river cast everything in contrasts of dark and pale gold.
As she turned her back to him to straighten her dress and squeeze out her hair, he eyed her.
She had to have put the pieces together. What was she planning? Would she turn him in? But to whom?
Perrin spun and leveled a weapon at him. His weapon. She must’ve snatched it while they were underwater.
“Talk,” she said.
9
Perrin made sure her hand—and her gaze—didn’t waver. Posture was all she had left to feel in charge. Commanding a situation was difficult when you were sopping wet and you knew your dress looked inappropriate and you were pretty sure you had algae in your hair.
Tai ducked his head slightly, his face falling into shadow. “I might have… misled you.”
“Does misled mean big, bald-faced lie in special agent talk?” Because that’s what he had to be, a special agent. Not that she was one to make accusations, considering her own lack of truthfulness.
He raked a hand through his hair, but it immediately fell into his face again, sending a rivulet down his cheek. “I haven’t lied once. Everything I told you was true.”
“There are also lots of true things you conveniently failed to mention. Start over. From the beginning.” She kicked off her sodden shoes while keeping the weapon level. “Like, with the fact that you aren’t Confed police, are you?”
“I never said I was a cop. You saw a badge and assumed.”
She glared. This mission had been bad enough when she’d believed he was simple law enforcement, but a spy like Kel?
“Intentional misdirection totally counts as lying.”
He loosened his tie. “Can I sit?”
Now that she knew what he was, she had no doubt he could disarm her in seconds. Why hadn’t he made a move?
She stepped back and waved the pistol.
He sank onto a rock, shoulders sagging.
Waves lapped the rocks below as wake from a passing ship rippled the water.
“The guy we’re searching for,” Tai said, “his name is Kel Drake. He is—was—a special agent. My partner.”
Her hand tightened on the weapon. Kel had mentioned his best friend and roommate, but had never given her a real name. Later, she was going to have to recall everything he’d told her and put Tai’s face on it.
Tai stared at the river, a muscle in his jaw twitching. “He went missing after an assignment, stole classified data. And since I was his friend and roommate, I was benched during the investigation.”
“By your mother.”
“Yes.”
“Who happens to be, what? The head of the Confed intelligence agency?”
“Yes.”
Perrin didn’t believe in cursing, but if there were ever an opportunity, this one called for it. “You’re a SARC.”
His eye twitched at the nickname for Special Agents of the Ruby Confederation. “Yes.”
It explained the skills she’d questioned. Not that spies went around announcing they were spies, but that fact would’ve been good to know. She’d have been even more careful with what she said and did. She hoped she was as good a liar as Tai had said.
A breeze whipped along the river, raising goose bumps on her wet skin. She shivered. “They think you helped him?”
“Not really. Well, some do.”
“Did you?”
“Of course not. I’m loyal to the Confederation.” Outrage in his tone and face replaced dejection. “It’s standard protocol to suspend someone this close. I have an internal affairs hearing in less than two weeks.”
“So you decided to go rogue, too?”
He winced and tugged his tie again. His misery endeared him to her more than it should have. He wasn’t as law-abiding as she’d thought. Now she wanted to swear again. She was far too aware of her weakness for cute rebels.
“What’s your goal? Find him yourself?”
He nodded.
“Why’d you do it? To help your partner? Or yourself?”
“Both.”
She hadn’t expected the honesty. Finally, she allowed herself to sink onto a rock next to him and lower the weapon. The moonstone radiated cold through her thin dress.
Tai didn’t react to her movement. “If I find him first, before the hearing, I can clear my name for good. Figure out why he did it and how he fooled me for years. I won’t let my career be destroyed by someone else’s choices. And it does help the Confed. He really is carrying dangerous information.”
He had no idea. “Not to mention you could get a promotion out of it?”
“That’s basically guaranteed. Runs in the family. As long as I don’t get wrongly accused.” He blinked. “Or caught.”
She’d been swept up in finding her ex and saving her skin, but this quest was personal for Tai, too. That meant he’d want to know every detail about Kel and his perceived betrayal—which would include her.
“Part of me still hopes he’s not a traitor.” Tai’s quiet voice blended with the sound of the river. “Does that make me stupid?”
Considering she’d been wondering the same thing about her own trust in Kel, she knew the feeling. The fact Tai sought her approval softened the part of her determined to hate him for what he was.
“It makes you a good friend.”
The tension in his face relaxed.
Now what? She’d come with Tai because he’d implied the Confed required her services. If that wasn’t the case, refusing wouldn’t be considered treason. She could ditch Tai and search for Kel alone—without the constant fear of revealing her relationship with Kel, her true loyalty, and the fact she understood his message.
He shifted. “What are you going to do?”
She studied him.
On the other hand, if she’d been in Kel’s room alone when Tai’s mom and the Amber guy showed up, she’d be making herself comfortable in a detention cell right now.
Uncomfortable with the idea that she needed him as much as he needed her, she tapped the pulse pistol against her leg. “I’m still deciding.”
“If you keep helping, and we succeed, I’ll put in a good word for you. Get you an official commendation. Should be good for business, right? But I should warn you that all three governments have agents on the trail.”
“Three?”
“At the Conservatory, I followed a guy I suspect was a Cobalt agent. He was searching for Kel, too.”
Of course. Because this whole mess didn’t carry enough danger. Another government obtaining a list of Onyx Network members with her name on it was no better than the Confed. She’d broken all their laws.
“You’re being too quiet,” he said. “I hope that calculating look doesn’t mean you’re planning to turn me in.”
“After you told me that would result in you never being seen again? I imagine the consequences would be worse for a spy than a cop. I’m not that awful. I am, however, debating stealing your ship.” She said it with enough of a smile that hopefully he wouldn’t suspect she was half-serious. Did he have ID locks on the vessel? Was that an option?
“If you stay with me, imagine what you might see.” He gestured to the city spread before them.
One day, and he’d sensed her weakness. What else would he learn without her realizing?
“If I stay with you, I may end up dead.”
“True.”
They stared at each other.
“Would you rather go back to staying in ports, reading receipts and flight schedules?”
Was her desire for adventure that obvious? Curse his spy-honed insights.
He assumed if she didn’t stay with him that she’d go straight home, to her ship and her job. He had no reason to suspect she’d continue on her own. Which meant they’d both be on Kel’s trail, and she’d have to hide her actions not only from the other agents, but from one who now knew her.
Perrin had no trouble owning her many skills but was also willing to acknowledge they were not sufficient to beat three governments’ best operatives and Tai, especially now that she didn’t know where Kel might be. And she had exactly nine days to find him.
Was he long gone, knowing agents were on his tail? If so, where? And what did he expect her do with that message? If he wanted help or for her to follow him, more info would’ve been nice.
Three governments and a galactic manhunt now made sense, though. Overkill for a list of names, but not if he’d found something huge.
If she wanted to find Kel first—and she had to—she needed Tai. For now. But he didn’t need to know that. She just had to continue to hide her involvement, and not get too close since she was going to betray him in the end.
Her gut twinged at the thought of using him and keeping her many secrets after he’d spilled his. He was nice enough, despite his loyalty to the Confed. If it came down to her life or his job, though, the choice was simple.
She smoothed water out of her dress. “I didn’t sign up for a galactic conspiracy. If I keep helping, what do I get out of the deal?”
“Besides the pleasure of my company?”
“I thought you were trying to convince me to stay, not steal your ship and go home.”
“The knowledge you’re helping the Confed?”
She barely contained her snort. “Technically, if I wanted to help the Confed, I’d go find your mom and offer my services.”
“Two Confed teams are better than one, right?”
“Oh, is that what we are? A team? Confed Team Number Two?” She wasn’t sure if she wanted to laugh or gag.
“We don’t have to have a name.”
“We’re getting off topic. You need my help. This partner of yours either needs your help or needs to be caught.”
His eyes brightened. “Does that mean you’ll do it?”
“Why not? But I expect lots of new shipping contracts if I’m alive at the end of this.”
“Deal.” He extended his hand. Then withdrew it, peeled off his glove with a wet sucking noise, and stuck it out again. “In the Amber Alliance, it’s only a valid agreement if—”
“—you touch wrists. I’m familiar with the custom.” She shouldn’t have been surprised that he was too, trained to blend in anywhere.
She removed her glove as well. This was a terrible, awful idea. She wrapped her damp fingers around his wrist, and he did the same with hers. His hand was slightly sticky with river muck, but surprisingly warm. His quick pulse throbbed under her fingertips. Dark eyes met hers, hesitated a moment too long.
She withdrew her hand.
“Where to next?” she asked. “And can I change into something normal? If we’re facing off against all these agents, I need a place to stash my knife.”
10
First Tai discovered his roommate had conned him for years. Now Perrin had seen through him in less than two days. And his partner had left a secret code that Tai had no clue how to begin deciphering. Great spy he was turning out to be.
If he had any hope of proving himself and securing his future, he needed this mission to succeed more than ever.
He and Perrin climbed the stones and emerged onto the street parallel to the river.
She aimed for the hotel, but he stopped her with a hand on her arm. Goose bumps covered her chilled skin.
“I don’t think we should go back,” he said.
Down the road, red and yellow lights flashed. The Amber agent’s backup had arrived.
“Yeah, good call. To the ship?”
But when they arrived, they found the port’s main doors locked.
Tai sighed. For a city that liked nightlife, would it kill them to have longer hours at the off-world transport hub? The hotels probably lobbied to keep the terminal closed so people like them were forced to stay.
He took out his comp-pad. Time to test the claim they were waterproof.
Perrin still clutched his grandfather’s old pulse pistol that Tai had found in a chest at the family cabin. He doubted it would fire after going for a swim, but if holding the weapon made her happy, he wouldn’t argue.
To be safe, he hadn’t left any belongings behind in their room. He’d have to examine the lock pickers, tracking devices, contact lenses, and camera in his pockets to see what still worked. If the water had damaged them, he was about to find out how good a spy he was without his tech.
After several shakes, his comp-pad loaded a map and showed a nearby street with more reasonably priced hotels. They strolled toward it, pretending they weren’t dripping river water, out of place among fashionable people in a fancy city.
“Jumping out the window was your idea,” Perrin said when they entered a hotel with a more sedate lobby. “You get to pay.”
“I’m only paying for one room. I’m funding this trip myself.” He would’ve been a gentleman, but he didn’t have enough chromos for multiple rooms per night. That last one hadn’t been cheap. How was Kel paying for his journey?
“Fine,” Perrin said. “As long as it has two beds, I won’t make you sleep in the bathroom.”
He didn’t argue. Better to keep her happy so she didn’t change her mind about helping. Why had she agreed, anyway? For more business? To help, either him or the Confed? Or for the adventure? She’d enjoyed the jump more than a normal person should have.
He let her take the first shower, too.
Now that the truth was out, a weight had lifted from his chest. But had he put her in greater danger by telling her? He was still keeping the details of the mission confidential, which would protect her if they were caught.
After they’d both washed off the river and made use of the hotel bathrobes while their clothes ran through the sonic cleaner, she perched on her bed. With her feet tucked inside, knees drawn to her chin, the enormous pale blue robe swallowed her. Her face peeked out the top. Pink cheeks scrubbed clean and damp hair made her look every bit as young as she was.
He missed the green dress, but he’d keep that thought to himself.
She kept sneaking peeks at him and glancing away as he examined his gear.
What did she think of his revelation? Did she judge him for being disloyal? He hadn’t spotted any standard signs of disapproval, but she was harder to read than most people.
“What?” he finally asked.
She opened her mouth, paused, and seemed to change what she planned to say. “Your mom is amazing.”
Only Perrin would admire a woman for standing up to an Amber official, knocking him out, and jumping out a window. His mom was impressive. And mostly a good parent, even if mother occasionally felt like simply one more alias she used when it suited her.
“She’s something.”
“When did you learn she was a spy?”
Perrin already knew about their jobs, so he supposed answering wouldn’t hurt. “I was thirteen. Growing up, she taught me languages, computer programming, self-defense, all these random skills. I couldn’t figure out how she knew so much. Then she took me on a business trip to the Southern Isles. We met this guy in a café, they had a strange coded conversation and exchanged files. I finally put everything together and straight-up asked. She was proud. She’d wanted me to follow in her footsteps, but it was a test to see if I was smart enough to figure it out. Her father had done the same thing with her.”
“Your grandfather used to be chief spy, too?”
“The official title is Director of Law Enforcement and Intelligence.”
Her mouth formed an O of mock-awe. “What about your dad?”
The old but familiar grief, its edges blunt with time, hit him and passed in its customary blow. “He’s gone.”
Her eyes flickered, and the corner of her mouth twitched downward. “Mine, too.”
“Mining accident, right?”
She blinked at him, face now blank.
“I’m a spy. I researched you before asking for a lift. And I’m sorry.”
She nodded. “What’s it like?”
“Being an agent?”
“No, being a know-it-all.”
He rolled his eyes skyward as he debated his answer. Intellectually, he knew he was saving lives, helping people. Often, though, he wished he could tackle enemies head-on, rather than spying from a distance, lying, scheming, rarely doing. He barely admitted that to himself, though, and didn’t intend to put the feeling into words and share it.
