Dire Steps by Henry V. O'Neil Page B

his face, which was swollen and red.
    â€œWhat happened, First Sergeant?”
    Two medics stood on either side of him, one squeezing an intravenous fluid bag while the other dabbed at the worst of the burns. Hemsley swatted the second man away before speaking.
    â€œIsn’t it obvious? The Guests attacked us with one of their gunships. Killed two of my ­people, a driver, and”—­Hemsley shrugged, and then winced—­“aw, fuck it.”
    Using his unburned hand, the old veteran reached out and pulled back the top third of one of the blankets to reveal the blackened face of Deelia. Ayliss gasped before seeing that the discoloration was just more camouflage.
    â€œShe didn’t burn. She got hit with a minicannon round, dead center.” The blanket flipped back into place. A thumb pumped at the other corpse. “Fuckin’ gunship tore up the mover we were using, killed the driver.
    â€œNow what are you going to do about this . . . Minister?”
    Behind her, Blocker cleared his throat as if to speak, but Ayliss stopped him with a raised hand. Something wasn’t right here. The burns on Hemsley and Tin, but not on the victims of the gunship attack. If a mover had been destroyed, it would likely have caught fire.
    â€œYou got those burns pulling something out of that mover. What was it carrying, and where were you?”
    â€œWhole buncha miles away, out in the middle of nowhere, taking delivery of those supplies I mentioned, the ones we’re supposed to get from the Guests that we have to buy from the smugglers.” A hand waved at Deelia’s body. “That’s not exactly important right now.”
    Smugglers. Station Manager Rittle’s promise that he was going to link the veterans to piracy.
    â€œWhat were you hauling? What was so important you got this badly burned?”
    Hemsley stared at her in defiance, but Lola spoke up. “Tell her, First Sergeant.”
    â€œAll right. Seeing as you care more about a little contraband than dead veterans. We were receiving a shipment of antiaircraft rockets. Shoulder-­fired.”
    â€œYou moron!”
    â€œCall me any names you like. They murdered two of my ­people. What are you going to do about that?”
    Ayliss felt the heat swelling all the way through her body now, as if she’d been the one near the fire. Anger rose over the realization that Hemsley had played right into Rittle’s hands.
    â€œDo you have any idea what you’ve done? You gave them the only thing they needed. Proof that you’re consorting with pirates.” Her eyes moved to Lola’s, then Tin’s, startled to see disapproval. She went on anyway. “Now they have everything they need to kick you off this planet—­and me too.”
    â€œThat’s what you’re focusing on? Right now, with these two murdered soldiers lying right in front of you?”
    She was suddenly aware of the stares from the two medics. Dizzy, weak, and made more so by the suspicion that she’d just made an enormous mistake.
    A hand gently came down on her shoulder, Blocker’s. “We should leave, Minister.”
    Feeling her vision narrowing, in danger of swooning, but not willing to do it in front of these ­people. These ­people who’d ruined everything and somehow believed it was all her fault.
    â€œAll right. Let’s go.”
    â€œW e have to get you to Zone Quest’s infirmary.” Back at the mover, Blocker spoke almost in her ear because Ayliss appeared to be losing consciousness.
    â€œNo.” A weak hand gripped his arm, the blue eyes opening with effort. “They’ll never speak to me again if you do that.”
    â€œThey’ll never speak to you again if you die.”
    â€œJust sick, that’s all. Put me to bed for the night, we’ll see how I am in the morning.”
    â€œNo. Help’s available up the hill, and I’m taking you there.”