jitters flying about in her stomach. “I suppose.”
She turned to face him. A stain darkened the material around his right hip, around a gash in his pants.
“What’s that? You’ve been hurt.”
He managed a half-grin. “Ah. Yes, we’ll have to deal with this. The kartek caught me.”
Allysha’s stomach lurched. “If we don’t treat that quickly, you’ll die.”
Chapter Seventeen
Sean hesitated behind van Tongeren as the mine manager slammed his hand down on the panel to open his office door and stepped inside.
“She’s gone. I don’t understand it. The system says she’s in her room.”
The man in the visitor’s chair eased his bulk. “What do you mean, gone?”
Ah. This had to be Tepich.
“Gone,” repeated van Tongeren. He waved his hand. “We don’t know where she is.” He turned around to lean on his desk, his face suddenly white. “You don’t think she was in that freighter with Stone?” He pulled out his comm. and pushed buttons.
Ludovic’s voice answered.
“Have you found anything?” van Tongeren said.
“We checked the wreck site as best we could.” Ludovic’s voice twanged with annoyance. “They put a missile into the wreck at close range and it burned like a furnace. Just as well it was pouring with rain.
We could have had a forest fire. As it is, we’ll be lucky to get near it tomorrow.”
Van Tongeren scowled. “How many bodies?”
“Can’t tell, boss. Um… who else?”
“The woman. Maybe.”
“Oh. Well, if she was with him, she’s dead. If they escaped the fire, they wouldn’t have escaped the karteks. We saw plenty of evidence of those.” Ludovic chuckled. “I wonder if they like their meat cooked?”
“Not funny, Ludovic.” Van Tongeren snapped the comlink closed.
Shit. Sean felt cold. He hoped she wasn’t dead, of course he did, but if she was, he was in trouble. But maybe she wasn’t. “You can’t be sure she’s dead. Maybe that’s what she wants you to think.”
Van Tongeren wheeled on him. “What do you mean?”
Sean shrugged. “She’s not stupid. Maybe she’s got some other reason for disappearing.” His eyes slid to Tepich, who sat unmoved in the chair. The man with the second, very lucrative, contract.
“Such as?”
Ah, yes. There was the rub. “She’s pretty straitlaced is Allysha. If she found out about the weapons smuggling she might have decided she didn’t want to play.”
Van Tongeren’s eyes narrowed. “How would she find out? Did you tell her?”
“Me? I haven’t been near her. But there’s the stuff in the hangar.”
The mine manager snorted but his expression cleared. “So where do you think she is?”
“Somewhere in the mine,” Sean said. “There’s nowhere else she could be. She can fool the IS.”
“Do you know how?” asked Tepich. He spoke softly, his voice surprisingly high pitched for such a big man.
“Believe me, if there’s an IS, she can fool it. For example, your system still says she’s in her room. I’m not as good as her but I can have a look for you, if you like. My name’s O’Reilly, by the way.” He took a stride toward the other, hand outstretched. “And you are?”
The big man pointedly ignored the proffered hand. “You may call me Tepich.” He took a deep breath and let it out. “This incident is unfortunate. I understand that Mister van Tongeren is impressed with your wife’s abilities. I have no doubt that we can come to an understanding.” He raised one fat finger. “But only if she is delivered.”
“Naturally,” said van Tongeren. “Right, O’Reilly, see if you can find out if she’s fooling the security system. Do you have any other suggestions?”
Unfortunate? You can say that again. They’d better find her or he was in deep shit. “Several. Keep her quarters under surveillance. Keep an eye on your inventory—bear in mind she can alter it. Double check your surveillance equipment. Even Allysha can’t get around cameras but you have to be
She turned to face him. A stain darkened the material around his right hip, around a gash in his pants.
“What’s that? You’ve been hurt.”
He managed a half-grin. “Ah. Yes, we’ll have to deal with this. The kartek caught me.”
Allysha’s stomach lurched. “If we don’t treat that quickly, you’ll die.”
Chapter Seventeen
Sean hesitated behind van Tongeren as the mine manager slammed his hand down on the panel to open his office door and stepped inside.
“She’s gone. I don’t understand it. The system says she’s in her room.”
The man in the visitor’s chair eased his bulk. “What do you mean, gone?”
Ah. This had to be Tepich.
“Gone,” repeated van Tongeren. He waved his hand. “We don’t know where she is.” He turned around to lean on his desk, his face suddenly white. “You don’t think she was in that freighter with Stone?” He pulled out his comm. and pushed buttons.
Ludovic’s voice answered.
“Have you found anything?” van Tongeren said.
“We checked the wreck site as best we could.” Ludovic’s voice twanged with annoyance. “They put a missile into the wreck at close range and it burned like a furnace. Just as well it was pouring with rain.
We could have had a forest fire. As it is, we’ll be lucky to get near it tomorrow.”
Van Tongeren scowled. “How many bodies?”
“Can’t tell, boss. Um… who else?”
“The woman. Maybe.”
“Oh. Well, if she was with him, she’s dead. If they escaped the fire, they wouldn’t have escaped the karteks. We saw plenty of evidence of those.” Ludovic chuckled. “I wonder if they like their meat cooked?”
“Not funny, Ludovic.” Van Tongeren snapped the comlink closed.
Shit. Sean felt cold. He hoped she wasn’t dead, of course he did, but if she was, he was in trouble. But maybe she wasn’t. “You can’t be sure she’s dead. Maybe that’s what she wants you to think.”
Van Tongeren wheeled on him. “What do you mean?”
Sean shrugged. “She’s not stupid. Maybe she’s got some other reason for disappearing.” His eyes slid to Tepich, who sat unmoved in the chair. The man with the second, very lucrative, contract.
“Such as?”
Ah, yes. There was the rub. “She’s pretty straitlaced is Allysha. If she found out about the weapons smuggling she might have decided she didn’t want to play.”
Van Tongeren’s eyes narrowed. “How would she find out? Did you tell her?”
“Me? I haven’t been near her. But there’s the stuff in the hangar.”
The mine manager snorted but his expression cleared. “So where do you think she is?”
“Somewhere in the mine,” Sean said. “There’s nowhere else she could be. She can fool the IS.”
“Do you know how?” asked Tepich. He spoke softly, his voice surprisingly high pitched for such a big man.
“Believe me, if there’s an IS, she can fool it. For example, your system still says she’s in her room. I’m not as good as her but I can have a look for you, if you like. My name’s O’Reilly, by the way.” He took a stride toward the other, hand outstretched. “And you are?”
The big man pointedly ignored the proffered hand. “You may call me Tepich.” He took a deep breath and let it out. “This incident is unfortunate. I understand that Mister van Tongeren is impressed with your wife’s abilities. I have no doubt that we can come to an understanding.” He raised one fat finger. “But only if she is delivered.”
“Naturally,” said van Tongeren. “Right, O’Reilly, see if you can find out if she’s fooling the security system. Do you have any other suggestions?”
Unfortunate? You can say that again. They’d better find her or he was in deep shit. “Several. Keep her quarters under surveillance. Keep an eye on your inventory—bear in mind she can alter it. Double check your surveillance equipment. Even Allysha can’t get around cameras but you have to be
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