Space Wrangler (37 page)

Then he walked to the next room and paused in the doorway to watch as Dr. Meg fussed over his father. Finally he asked, “How is he?”

“Oh!” Meg hurried over to him. “Go back to bed. I'll be there soon, I promise.” She touched his cheek. “You're so pale.”

“I'm fine. How's my father?”

“It's still touch and go, but he's strong as an ox. I think he'll pull through.”

“No. This ends now.
He
ends now. Just add something lethal—and agonizingly painful—to his IV.” When she hesitated, he growled, “He's a monster. Of course,
you're
a monster too, so killing him shouldn't be a problem for you.”

“TJ…”

“
Now
.”

She huffed, but he knew she knew the truth. David Seaton would never regain power or influence. For that, she needed to please TJ.

As he watched, she went to cabinet for a syringe and filled it from a glass vial. When she was about to inject it into the IV, he took it from her. “Allow me.”

He held it, poised and ready to push. Then he looked down at the old man and said, “I've dreamed of this moment since I was four years old.” Then he depressed the plunger, and almost immediately, David gasped for breath again and again. And again.

Leaning down, he told him, “That's right, you fucking bastard. Go to hell, and make sure you tell them who sent you.”

It took less than a minute, and TJ enjoyed every second.

Finally
.

“You need to rest now, TJ,” Meg said lovingly.

“Not quite yet. It's
your
turn.”

“Pardon?”

He eyed her coldly. “Re-fill the syringe, take it to your office, lock the door. Then off yourself. And make it quick.”

She gasped. “What are you saying? I've been loyal to you.”

“No, you've been a sadist. I saw the treatment Lana got. Do you really want the medical board back on Earth hearing about that? Or how you were an accomplice to kidnapping? Maybe even rape? Remember when you suggested harvesting Alexia's eggs? Even the monster drew the line at that.” He grinned angrily. “You can't go back to Earth. They'd pillory you. And you can't stay here.”

“And I suppose if I try to resist, you'll kill me and fake the details?”

“That's Dad's style, not mine. I'll deport you, you'll go home, and you'll face all appropriate charges. What will they call you? The sinkhole butcher? David Seaton's murderous lackey? The doctor who tried to extinguish the last living Montoya?” His eyes narrowed. “Just do it, Meg.”

She sighed. “I'd like to use something else. Something a little less painful.”

“That's fine.”

She cleared her throat. “In my own way, I loved you like a son. I hope you believe that.”

“Fuck you.”

Her eyebrow arched. “Are you going to kill yourself too?”

“We'll see. I've always thought I could be a decent person once he was dead and gone. If I can't, yeah, I'll join the two of you shortly. But I feel like I owe it to my mother—not to mention a scared little kid, cowering in a dark basement, sleeping on a filthy mat—to at least give it a try.”

When he was finally alone with his father's corpse, TJ pressed a button on the wall panel to summon a medic, who arrived within seconds.

“Is everything okay?” the young man asked. Then he blanched and moved to David's bedside. “I'm so sorry, Mr. Seaton. I'll call Dr. Meg to make the pronouncement, but it looks like your father died peacefully, at least.”

“Meg just left. As you can imagine, she's distraught. I'm actually worried about her.” TJ faked a concerned face. “Can you pull up the video feed of her office on this monitor?”

“Right away, sir.” The medic expertly entered a code. Soon they were watching a display of Meg Bodin, seated at her desk, her expression stoic, her eyes vacant.

“You're right,” the medic murmured. “She looks bad.”

“It's been a tough day,” TJ agreed. “Where do
you
stand on all this upheaval?”

“With you, sir,” he replied without hesitation. “We all do.”

TJ gave him a grateful nod, then turned his attention back to the screen, just in time to see Meg pick up a syringe and inject herself in the neck.

“Oh man!” the medic shouted. “I'd better get in there.”

TJ stayed in the room for another minute, knowing there would be pandemonium among the medical staff. They were good people and would try to save the doctor, even though they undoubtedly knew she was a butcher and a lackey. They wouldn't mourn her. Nor would they mourn David.

They would rejoice that Alexia Montoya was alive and well, but it wouldn't be enough. They had been through hell, and would leave en masse the instant the sinkhole opened. And maybe Alexia would go too.

That would be for the best.

Alexia had exchanged her blood-soaked dress for a set of dark-green scrubs, and now hovered over Zeke with Gabby, trying to keep him quiet despite his boisterous attempts to flirt and to get out of bed. Since both private rooms were occupied by Seatons, they had set up camp in the back of a long, narrow room with four beds, where he was the only patient for now. He had refused the services of “the bitch doctor” but had grudgingly allowed Carlos to clean his wounds, brace his wrenched knee, and splint his broken arm.

Now he declared himself ready for action. Or alternatively, bed rest aboard the
Ace of Hearts
with Gabby under the covers with him.

Gabby seemed enthralled by tales of his exploits, which he embellished shamelessly. Not that the truth didn't impress all by itself. He had taken out Red and Sampson, then limped back to the holding area, where he shot one of the enforcers outside the doors, then subdued and cuffed the other.

“Meaning I took out five of 'em when you count Belker. And Captain Gage took out three enforcers and one old man. Not bad either.”

Alexia laughed. “So you think you're better than Rick?”

“No one's better than him,” Zeke admitted. “He led the mission. Without him, I'd be dead. So would you, angel face.”

“I know.” She wasn't sure how much she should share, especially about Trenton, but Rick short-circuited her thoughts by striding into the room with Lana in his arms, then depositing her on the bed farthest away from Zeke's.

“Oh!” Alexia dashed to them, aghast at her friend's limp appearance. Gathering the bio-girl carefully into her arms, she almost wept to see bruises on her neck that were clearly made by a man's hand. Understandably, the lights in her huge blue eyes had been extinguished completely.

Her voice was equally forlorn. “I want to go home.”

“You'll be the first one through the sinkhole,” Alexia told her, trying not to sob. “I promise you that. I'm so, so sorry, Lana.”

“I didn't tell them anything, Alexia. Mostly because I didn't know anything, but still. Even if I had known, I wouldn't have told them.”

“You're so brave,” Alexia insisted. “Kai told Rick how you stood up for everyone on the platform.”

“I'm not brave.” She turned away, sniffling. “Can we talk later?”

“Sure.” Alexia covered her with a warm blanket. Then she glanced at Rick, silently commiserating. He had saved them all, but from the look on his face, he didn't see it that way. Not with Lana covered in bruises. This was a woman he knew, and thus, someone under his care. He had made love to her. Grown fond of her despite his best attempt to remain free from such ties.

Alexia could only imagine how he felt. She wanted to comfort him, but maybe he just wanted to get away. Go back to Sensie, space and solitude.

When she spotted TJ in the doorway, it was almost a relief, and she walked over and gave him a hug that hopefully didn't hurt his shoulder. “How's David?”

“He didn't make it.”

“
What?
” She fought a wave of guilt, remembering how much she had wished him dead. “Carlos thought he'd recover. I'm so sorry.”

“Why? He deserved to die.” He glanced toward Zeke and Gabby. “I didn't realize she knew the smuggler.”

“It's a long story, TJ.”

“It's fine.” He gave Alexia's cheek a pat, then walked to Zeke's bedside. “Captain Angelus? I want to apologize for everything we've put you through.”

“Yeah? Well, fuck you.”

“Zeke!” Gabby protested. “It wasn't TJ's fault.” She stood and smiled. “How's David?”

“Dead.”

“Oh no!” She grabbed him in a warm embrace. “I'm so sorry. I know he was horrible to you, but he was still your father. If you need someone to talk to, well…” She drew back but only enough to stare up at him with shining eyes. “You know I'm always here for you.”

“Fuck,” Zeke muttered, eyeing Rick and Alexia. “I thought she'd finally see through this shithead.”

Rick shrugged. “Women, right?”

“Right.”

To Alexia's surprise, Rick straightened like a commander reviewing his wounded troops. “You did a good job today, Captain Angelus.”

Zeke seemed dazzled. “It was my pleasure, sir.”

“Get some rest. That's an order.”

“Aye, Captain.”

Alexia leaned down to kiss the smuggler's cheek. “Thanks for killing Belker for me.”

“Yeah, that was sweet. Go on now and make Captain Gage's dirtiest dreams come true.”

“Grow up,” Rick growled at him. “And get some effing sleep.”

“I agree,” Gabby said, returning to Zeke's bedside chair and taking his hand as though she hadn't done anything odd.

Alexia eyed them warily, but Zeke was apparently willing to take the beautiful blonde on any terms, because he lifted her hand to his lips, kissed it reverently, and then held it like a lifeline as he drifted into sleep.

Lana had dozed off too, so Alexia and Rick went with TJ to his room where she insisted he get back into bed. Then she murmured sympathetically, “What can we do?”

“It's your call. I should go to prison—”

“Don't be silly. It's a new day. A clean slate. Right, Rick?”

The wrangler hesitated, then told TJ, “You took fire for Alexia. That's a good first step. Beyond that, let's wait and see.”

“That's how I want it too,” TJ agreed.

Alexia smiled in relief. “We need to open the sinkhole right away. Lana wants to go home. And I'm sure dozens of other folks will too. They're pretty traumatized.”

Rick touched her arm, and when she turned to him, his eyebrow arched. “We need a believable narrative, remember? People on Earth think you're dead.” He turned to TJ. “How many people know what you and your father tried to do?”

“Everyone on
my
end who knew is dead. Belker and his two buddies. Dad. And Dr. Meg.”

Alexia gasped. “Dr. Bodin's dead?”

“That's the rumor.”

“Wow. She deserved it, but still—what a day.” She sat on the edge of the bed, then tried to rally. “The point is, they're all dead. And Gabby's up to speed. Everyone else thought you and I got married and then I ran back to Earth to get a gift for you and died in the sinkhole, right? So if we don't want to throw you under the bus, we could say—” She eyed Rick. “What did you have in mind?”

TJ raised his hand in interruption. “We'll say you got cold feet and ran off with a smuggler before the ceremony. They told me the rip-runners lost you in the sinkhole, and I was distraught. And since it didn't matter at that point—I would inherit either way—I let Dad claim the wedding had taken place. But then it turned out you hid with the smugglers on this side of the sinkhole.”

“That's good,” Rick agreed. “We'll say that when Alexia tried to return to the platform, your father was desperate for the Seatons to retain full ownership and ordered his enforcers to kill her. But you sided with Alexia and the smugglers, we had a big battle, and justice triumphed.”

“I like it,” TJ murmured. “It's more than I deserve.”

Alexia touched his cheek. “I'll issue a public statement that you protected me during the battle. And that you have my full confidence as CEO of Sea-Mont. Which you do.”

“Unless you ever cross her again,” Rick interrupted, his tone clipped and harsh. “
Ever
. The slightest hiccup and you'll wish you'd never met me.”

“Actually, I'm enormously grateful to have met you,” TJ assured him. “You saved her. The most important person in the world to me. I'll never forget it.”

“Just get the sinkhole open. For Lana.” He winced and added more diplomatically, “You did the right thing with her too, taking her to your penthouse so she could heal. It sounds like things were grim under Bodin's care.”

“That's an understatement,” TJ muttered. Then he turned to Alexia. “Thanks for giving me another chance.”

“You saved my life, idiot,” she reminded him. “Promise me you'll get some sleep?”

“Yeah. It's been a while since I did that.” He watched as she joined Rick near the door. “Thanks, you two. I'll earn your trust again, I promise.”

Rick didn't respond. Instead, he gently pulled Alexia into the hall, then firmly closed the door.

Alexia sighed. “He deserves a second chance.”

“I agree.”

“And if we really want to heal, we can't keep secrets. Not from each other. Not from TJ.”

Rick shrugged. “That's your call. But keeping Trenton's identity to ourselves might be a good idea, at least for now.”

“I agree.”

“And I'm not comfortable telling anyone else about Sensie.”

She winced. “You're right, of course.”

“And we can't risk telling TJ—or anyone, really—about the bio-linking.”

“I agree with that too,” she said, nodding. “Sensie promised the Titan she wouldn't tell, so it's a completely different issue.”