Crossways (58 page)

As they boarded the shuttle for the spaceport Gwala took off the shackles so as not to attract undue attention. “Try and run and I'll take both your legs off at the knees,” he said. “Understand?”

Lowenbrun nodded.

The public terminal handled barely a dozen passenger flights a day, mostly mining crews and their families coming and going. Though it wasn't large, it was bright and comfortable with a blast of cool, dry air meeting them in the entrance. Ben shivered and wiped rain from his face with the back of a hand.

The Magena sisters and Esterhazy stood by the statue of Everyminer with just a single bag each. The Kazan family was missing. He spotted them over by the restrooms, mum, dad, a teenage daughter, and a boy somewhere under ten, plus four big bags and a couple of transit crates. He waved for them to come over, but they didn't move.

Alia jerked her head to her left just once and that was all the warning they had. A phalanx of Monitors with automatic weapons and armored buddysuits complete with half-helms emerged from opposite sides of the concourse and arrayed themselves between the Navigators and the exit.

“Stand down, Benjamin, you're bound by law. Place all your weapons on the floor.”

“Sergei, even with a mask on I'd recognize you anywhere.”

*The girl, Lowenbrun's cousin, thought she recognized the Monitor's voice,*
Cara said.
*He was the one who hired Lowenbrun in the first place. There's something very odd going on. Your old friend is in it up to his neck.*

*Why doesn't that surprise me?*

“Weapons,” Alexandrov said again.

“All right, Sergei, I get it. Weapons on the floor.” Playing for time, Ben took his sidearm out of its holster slowly and carefully with finger and thumb and dropped it on the floor with a clatter, feeling the comfortable lump of the tiny derri still sitting in his thigh pocket.

“Parrimer blade, Benjamin. I've never known you not to carry one.”

“And you know me so well, Sergei, almost as well as I know you. What's this about? You're here after Lowenbrun, aren't you? We're just a bonus you never expected. What have you been up to? What do you know about thirty thousand missing settlers?”

Ben noticed one of the helmeted Monitors glance toward Alexandrov.

“Is that you, Jess? Did Sergei take some personal time a couple of months back? He did, didn't he? Would that have been about the time an ark loaded with thirty thousand settlers in cryo went missing? Am I ringing any bells here? Come on, Jess, wake up. Why is he so keen to get Lowenbrun? Is there even a warrant out for him? He's cleaning up after himself.”

Alexandrov raised his weapon, his finger tightening on the trigger. Ben flung himself sideways and grabbed his dropped gun.

Lowenbrun screeched, “You bastard,” and ran at Alexandrov full tilt, arms outstretched.

Alexandrov's gun barked. Lowenbrun fell. Ben brought his own weapon up, fired and hit Alexandrov square under the jaw. The man's head snapped back, a ruin of blood and bone.

Everyone dived for cover as a volley of shots rang out.

A
FTER THE FIRST FLURRY OF SHOTS, SCREAMS of bystanders and deafening cracks as energy bolts slammed into walls, there was a pause. Ben's ears rang. He blinked, realized he wasn't hurt and reached for Cara, who'd taken refuge behind Everyminer. All Ben had between him and the Monitors was a row of flimsy seats and someone's flight bag.

*All right?*
he asked.

*Yes. You?*

*So far.*

She linked him to Gwala, Hilde, and the newly appointed pilots. Everyone had found shelter.

“Ben, hold your fire. Give yourself up. We've got you outnumbered.” Jessop's voice cut through the shocked silence.

“Don't be too sure about that, Monitor man.” Alia Kazan's voice carried across the concourse.

Over by the washrooms the Kazans had hunkered down behind their transit crates and three muzzles pointed over the top, directly at the Monitors.

“Jess, you don't want us,” Ben shouted. “Think of the paperwork. I warned you about Alexandrov before. He had
something to do with the disappearance of the ark, and I aim to find out what.”

Lowenbrun groaned and rolled over. He was approximately halfway between Ben and Jessop, spattered in blood. How badly was he hurt? Ben needed whatever information he had. Lowenbrun was their last lead.

“Check your warrants,” Ben called. “I'll bet you won't find one for Lowenbrun. You've been dragged here on false pretenses because Alexandrov wanted to shut him up.”

“Check it.” Jessop spoke to the man on his right. “Come talk to me, Ben. Just you and me.”

Ben raised his head above the seat he was crouching behind.

*Ben!*
Cara's alarm was sharp.

*It's okay, Jessop's straight. I worked with him on the Rim. He's no Alexandrov.*

*Is that what I should carve on your tombstone?*

But as Ben stood, so did Jessop. For a tense moment neither moved, but no one fired. Jess pulled off his half-helm and walked forward. They'd been the same age when they worked together, but grizzled hair and the lines on his face said he hadn't done any cryo. They met in the middle, by Lowenbrun.

“Good to see you again, Jess.”

“I could have wished for better circumstances.”

They shook hands.

Jessop glanced at Alexandrov. He didn't need a medic to certify death.

“Mind if I check Lowenbrun?” Ben asked and knelt by the fallen man.

“Go ahead. Did you have to kill my boss?”

“You tell me. You're my witness for the defense.”

“Hell, Ben. You've put me in an awkward position. No one liked Alexandrov, but he was one of ours.”

“He was bent. Taking bribes on the Rim years ago and working on the side for van Blaiden if what Lowenbrun said made sense.”

Ben turned Lowenbrun over, relieved to see that the blood appeared to be Alexandrov's.

Jessop knelt too. “Pshaw! He stinks. You can have him. You're right. I checked. There's no warrant.”

“Lowenbrun, where does it hurt?” Ben asked.

“My knee. I twisted it as I fell.”

“You were lucky you did fall. Bloody idiot.”

“Is he dead?”

“Alexandrov? Yes.”

Lowenbrun screwed his eyes up and started to shake, weeping silently.

“What's going on, Ben?” Jessop sat back on his heels. “Make it quick.” He glanced back at his men. “I can't keep them standing around all day.”

“Short version? When we found platinum on Olyanda, Crowder tried to wipe out the colonists so the planet would revert to the Trust.”

“Yeah, I saw the vid.”

“Crowder and Ari van Blaiden were hand in glove. Not just Olyanda, Hera-3 before that.”

“Alphacorp's saying van Blaiden acted on his own. Nothing to do with them. The Trust is saying the vid is a well-staged fake.”

“Yeah, right.”

Lowenbrun rolled over and sat up.

Ben steadied him. “Crowder got van Blaiden to get rid of the highly inconvenient second ark that was in transit to Olyanda, and unless I'm very much mistaken, van Blaiden subcontracted the job out to Alexandrov, and Alexandrov hired Lowenbrun for his Navigation skills.” He took out the image of the void dragon. “Recognize this, Lowenbrun?”

“Shit! That's one of them.”

“Give the man a gold star, he passed the test.”

Jessop stared at the image, uncomprehending. “What's that got to do with—”

“Lowenbrun can pilot a jumpship. That right, Lowenbrun?”

“Yeah, but I'm not going to—ever again.”

“Tell us what happened.”

“That bastard hired me to pilot a ship through the Folds. I was supposed to lose the cargo. Insurance claim he said. Offered a small fortune. Seemed like a good deal. The pilots were supposed to be in on it, too.

“I didn't figure Alexandrov for a real Monitor, but he looked like a good fake. I thought he'd pass any inspection.
He did, of course. Nothing like disguising yourself as something you are. We boarded the ark at Dromgoole Hub under the pretense of a spot inspection. They took his flyer on board, no problem. I stayed hidden in the flyer while the ark transited into the Folds, then Alexandrov called me up to the flight deck.

“It was obvious right from the start the other pilots weren't in on it. Even more obvious when Alexandrov killed them. By that time I knew damn well what the cargo was. Cryo pods. People. I don't know how many.”

“Thirty thousand,” Ben said.

Lowenbrun closed his eyes. “Just kill me now.”

“What happened?”

“We abandoned them. In the Folds.” His voice broke. “I tried . . . No, I didn't try hard enough. I should have let Alexandrov shoot me right there. He wasn't a Navigator. I was the only one who could get us out. He'd have died in foldspace with the ship. He deserved that at least.” Lowenbrun shook his head. “He forced me to fly him home, out of the Folds. I could have killed both of us. I should have, but I didn't. I didn't want to die. I slipped away at Rio Hub and hitched a ride on a freighter.”

“And then you went back to where he found you? Smart move,” Ben said.

“I was going to get Dree and run for the rim, but I lost it. Thirty thousand, you say?”

“Thirty thousand.”

“I can't—” He smeared snot and tears across his face with the heel of his hand. “It's not just numbers, is it?”

“No, it's not.”

“You want me to take him in?” Jess asked. “There may not be a warrant yet, but I can fix that.”

Ben shook his head, a sick feeling in his gut. He didn't want to think about it, but it was the last chance the settlers had. “No. We're going back into the Folds to look for the ark.”

“They're gone, Ben,” Jess said. “No one has ever found a missing vessel in foldspace.”

“No one ever had a void dragon before.”

“Huh?”

“Long story. There are things in foldspace, Jess. Things
that are not supposed to be real, but they are. Those cryo pods are good for years. I'm not giving up on the settlers without one last try. I'll take Lowenbrun and a Finder.”

“No. Nonononono.” Lowenbrun began to shake his head.

“You don't have a choice.” Ben gripped his shoulder. “Neither of us has a choice. Let's call it a chance for redemption.”

“Get going, Ben,” Jess said. “I can give you thirty minutes head start.”

“What about them?” Ben nodded toward Jess' crew.

“They hated Alexandrov, but that doesn't mean they love you. I'll talk them around. But if you're not out of here in thirty minutes . . .”

“That's all we need. Thanks, Jess.”

“Good luck.”

“Clean him up and find him some clothes.” Ben shoved Lowenbrun up
Solar Wind
's ramp behind the new pilots and handed him to Hilde and Gwala at the top. “I don't want to see him again until he's completely sober. I don't care how you do it, just don't kill him in the process.”

“Leave him to us.” Hilde pushed the unfortunate pilot toward sick bay. “You need any more information? I can work wonders with a stiff-bristled brush.”

“Don't scare the man. The stiff-bristled brush was my fallback plan.”

He heard Cara stifle a laugh behind him. “I take it that Jake Lowenbrun is not what you were expecting to find.”

“I don't know what I was expecting. Certainly not a shootout with Alexandrov.”

“Are you all right?”

“I'm not going to waste tears on Alexandrov, but . . .” He shrugged. “Killing someone . . . anyone . . . even a bastard like Alexandrov . . . does things to your insides.”

“I know.” She put one hand to his face and he leaned into it for a moment.

“Okay.” He kissed her palm and took a deep breath as
Solar Wind
rose on her antigravs.

“Get into the mess,” he told the pilots. “Strap in. We'll be entering foldspace from the upper atmosphere.”

*Gen, have you got this?*

*Got it, Boss. Crossways bound.*

“Cara, stick with Gen and Jon Moon on the flight deck. As soon as we hit foldspace we're going to get a visit from a void dragon.”

“You're so sure? Why?”

“Because there are seven people here who can see them, including Lowenbrun and Gen. The big guy won't miss an opportunity like this. It's curious. And I've got an overdue appointment. I've put it off for too long already.”

“Are you going to face the dragon or face your own fears?”

“Both.”

She frowned and nodded.

“Aren't you going to try and talk me out of it?”

She shook her head. “If I thought that was what you wanted, I would, but you don't. You don't have a death wish, have you?”

“No! Gods, no. This may sound weird because I know we're under stress about so many things, but I've got a lot to be thankful for right now: my family, the Free Company . . . and you.”

“I'm hurt. Only third on your list?”

For a moment he thought she meant it until her mouth twitched, then she turned deadly serious. “Getting your mojo back is one thing, but you're not really intending to go hunting the missing ark in the Folds, are you?”

“I am.”

“Last time . . .”

“That's why I need to make my peace with the void dragon. If I'm going to be any use as a Navigator and pilot I'm going to have to confront it, or at least confront my reaction to it.”

She stared at him, her face not giving away her thoughts. “You don't have to do it alone. I'm staying with you. If I connect to you I may be able to anchor you in some kind of reality. I'm not losing you again.”

His jaw started to move to say no, and then her words sank in. He held her hand and leaned forward to kiss her lightly on the cheek. “Thank you. I can't let this thing get between me and doing what needs doing. What use is a Navigator who's too scared to fly the Folds?”

“You're not just a Navigator, you know.”

She was going to give him the self-worth lecture. He'd had it before, from Nan, from Jussaro, and much as he appreciated her efforts, now was not the time.

“I know, but being a Navigator is an important part of who I am and I don't intend to let it slip away.”

She gave him a sharp nod.

“We need to keep the heat off Gen. Let's invite the void dragon to join us all in the mess.”

Cara looked at the five Navigators strapped to the benches against the walls of the mess—Ben, Alia Kazan with Grigor next to her, the Magena sisters, and Esterhazy, who'd identified as gender neutral and had requested the pronoun “it.”

The Magenas—Chilaili and Tama—were somewhere between forty and fifty, both Amerind and close enough in looks to be identical twins, though Chilaili cut her hair very short and Tama wore hers in a long braid. The Kazans were polar opposites. Grigor was short, skinny, Caucasian, and probably not as old as his balding head made him look. Alia was statuesque and black, in her mid-thirties with wiry hair pulled back into a tight knot.