startled him,” Jay corrected. “Do you have meds or not?”
The woman pressed pretty, sculpted lips tight. “Do I look like I got the credits for drugs? No. Where were you taking him?”
“Docks.”
“What ship?”
“I don’t care. Any ship in the lanes will respond to a medical emergency,” Jay replied.
The child groaned.
The woman tucked her gun into a holster concealed by her too-long vest. Fear won out. It sounded shrill in her voice. “You ain’t in the lanes. They won’t help.”
“And this child is dying while we do nothing,” Jayleia shot, striding past.
The woman ran to catch up.
“Give him to me!” she demanded, grabbing Jayleia’s arm.
Swearing, Jay swung around, her teeth bared in rage.
Tears flooded the woman’s eyes. “He’s mine. My son. I heard him scream . . .”
From so far away? Jayleia snorted. More likely, she was his control and afraid she wouldn’t get her cut if the kid serviced a customer without her knowing.
“The delay is killing him,” Jayleia ground out.
“You Myallki bitch, he’s my baby!” the woman shrieked.
“Fine. Here.” Jayleia placed the boy in her arms. “Good luck. I hope . . .”
“You did this. You fix it! Come on!” Her wild curls bobbed as she pelted down the walkway.
Dropping her chin to her chest, Jayleia unclenched her fists one finger at a time and struggled for a breath not constricted by the desire to murder the curly-haired woman. Stop it. The child was in grave danger because of her. She shook her head and sprinted in their wake.
The woman pulled up short, shot out a hand to stop her, and tossed an assessing glance her way. “Can you hop a lift?”
“Yes.”
Air pressure built in the tunnel and she could hear the whine of anti-grav turbos activating below them.
“Right here. On three. One. Two. Jump!”
Her brain balked at jumping into empty space. Jayleia ignored it and forced her body into motion. They hit the roof of the lift compartment. The young woman dropped to her knees in an effort to keep a grip on the boy. Jay grabbed her arm, stabilizing her.
“Vala,” the woman said, leaning in close as if afraid someone else might hear. “My name’s Vala. This is Bellin.”
“Jayleia. Or Jay.”
“What ship did you come in on, Jay?” Vala asked.
“Claugh ship. The Kawl Fergus .”
“I know it. This lift will take us up, and then loop. Your ship is four hops from this next one.” She fell silent as the lift slowed and stopped.
It surprised her to find she couldn’t hear anyone within the lift. Jay felt the compartment shift as people came and went, but she heard nothing.
“Shielded?” she whispered.
Vala nodded, but she didn’t speak again until the unit lurched into motion. “Secrets equal profit. The station shields the lifts. Gets them a monopoly on what’s said inside. The guild don’t like competitors.”
CHAPTER 11
“W HO’S after you, Jay?” Vala asked.
Jayleia smiled at the woman’s casual tone. This was Silver City. Someone was always after you when you stepped aboard the labyrinthine hulk. “The guy who owns the ship.”
The woman tried and failed to hide the spark of interest in her eyes. “Will he call security?”
“I doubt it. I made it personal. He’ll settle this on his own.”
That was true, Jayleia realized. She’d scored a momentary hit to Damen’s ego. He’d hunt her, but he’d do it alone and if he found her, he’d give no quarter.
“This is us.”
Jay jumped from the top of the compartment when it paused. Vala handed Bellin to her and swung off the lift. The woman hesitated, then shook her head when Jayleia tried to offer him back to her.
“Gotta open the dock door,” she said. As the compartment sped away, Vala trotted back the way they’d come.
Jay followed, slowed by Bellin’s weight and the fact that she hadn’t had anything to eat or drink for twenty hours while she slept off a flesh-rotting disease. By the time she reached the correct dock
The woman pressed pretty, sculpted lips tight. “Do I look like I got the credits for drugs? No. Where were you taking him?”
“Docks.”
“What ship?”
“I don’t care. Any ship in the lanes will respond to a medical emergency,” Jay replied.
The child groaned.
The woman tucked her gun into a holster concealed by her too-long vest. Fear won out. It sounded shrill in her voice. “You ain’t in the lanes. They won’t help.”
“And this child is dying while we do nothing,” Jayleia shot, striding past.
The woman ran to catch up.
“Give him to me!” she demanded, grabbing Jayleia’s arm.
Swearing, Jay swung around, her teeth bared in rage.
Tears flooded the woman’s eyes. “He’s mine. My son. I heard him scream . . .”
From so far away? Jayleia snorted. More likely, she was his control and afraid she wouldn’t get her cut if the kid serviced a customer without her knowing.
“The delay is killing him,” Jayleia ground out.
“You Myallki bitch, he’s my baby!” the woman shrieked.
“Fine. Here.” Jayleia placed the boy in her arms. “Good luck. I hope . . .”
“You did this. You fix it! Come on!” Her wild curls bobbed as she pelted down the walkway.
Dropping her chin to her chest, Jayleia unclenched her fists one finger at a time and struggled for a breath not constricted by the desire to murder the curly-haired woman. Stop it. The child was in grave danger because of her. She shook her head and sprinted in their wake.
The woman pulled up short, shot out a hand to stop her, and tossed an assessing glance her way. “Can you hop a lift?”
“Yes.”
Air pressure built in the tunnel and she could hear the whine of anti-grav turbos activating below them.
“Right here. On three. One. Two. Jump!”
Her brain balked at jumping into empty space. Jayleia ignored it and forced her body into motion. They hit the roof of the lift compartment. The young woman dropped to her knees in an effort to keep a grip on the boy. Jay grabbed her arm, stabilizing her.
“Vala,” the woman said, leaning in close as if afraid someone else might hear. “My name’s Vala. This is Bellin.”
“Jayleia. Or Jay.”
“What ship did you come in on, Jay?” Vala asked.
“Claugh ship. The Kawl Fergus .”
“I know it. This lift will take us up, and then loop. Your ship is four hops from this next one.” She fell silent as the lift slowed and stopped.
It surprised her to find she couldn’t hear anyone within the lift. Jay felt the compartment shift as people came and went, but she heard nothing.
“Shielded?” she whispered.
Vala nodded, but she didn’t speak again until the unit lurched into motion. “Secrets equal profit. The station shields the lifts. Gets them a monopoly on what’s said inside. The guild don’t like competitors.”
CHAPTER 11
“W HO’S after you, Jay?” Vala asked.
Jayleia smiled at the woman’s casual tone. This was Silver City. Someone was always after you when you stepped aboard the labyrinthine hulk. “The guy who owns the ship.”
The woman tried and failed to hide the spark of interest in her eyes. “Will he call security?”
“I doubt it. I made it personal. He’ll settle this on his own.”
That was true, Jayleia realized. She’d scored a momentary hit to Damen’s ego. He’d hunt her, but he’d do it alone and if he found her, he’d give no quarter.
“This is us.”
Jay jumped from the top of the compartment when it paused. Vala handed Bellin to her and swung off the lift. The woman hesitated, then shook her head when Jayleia tried to offer him back to her.
“Gotta open the dock door,” she said. As the compartment sped away, Vala trotted back the way they’d come.
Jay followed, slowed by Bellin’s weight and the fact that she hadn’t had anything to eat or drink for twenty hours while she slept off a flesh-rotting disease. By the time she reached the correct dock
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