Chapter XXXVIII
The first explosion took her feet out from under her, and caused Eli to bounce off the wall then hit her head on the floor with a resounding crack. Then darkness was all she knew for an undetermined period of time.
When she opened her eyes again, she felt the wet stickiness of partially dried blood covering one eye and the better part of one side of her face. It correlated directly to the searing pain in her head, though it did little to explain the agony in her back and legs. She lifted a hand to clear the blood from her eye and realized almost immediately she had been pinned by parts of the walls and girders that made up the ship. Panic set in briefly – she allowed herself a full standard minute to feel the terror of being trapped and alone. When her allotted time was up, she closed her eyes and focused on centering herself – she wasn ’t of any use to anyone until she got out of her current predicament.
With a start, she realized she could sense nothing from Arianna. Another moment of panic before her rational mind took over. There were several reasons that Arianna could be shielded against her… not simply her death... including Eli ’s own head wound. So her first order of business was to get out of the corridor and go find her mate. Then she needed to find out just what the hell had happened and how the rest of her teammates had fared.
Eli lay still for a long moment. Her head really was killing her and she was fairly positive she was going to need some of her alternate strength to be able to free herself from the rubble beneath which she was buried. The concerning thing was the pain thrumming through her back and legs. She devoutly hoped it wasn ’t an indication of some deeper injury, but she had neither the time nor the means to discover the truth.
She slowed her breathing, feeling her heartbeat slow and with it, the pain in her head eased somewhat – not enough to stop completely, but enough for her to feel a little more in control. She pictured her dragon form – the smallest version – and relaxed, allowing the transformation to take place. It was painful... agonizingly so... but she could feel the strength flowing into her body. And after a long moment, she shifted from her side to her stomach and pushed against the floor until she was on top of the debris. She shook out her wings, keening in agony as more pain rippled through her body at the movement. Then she took a step... and collapsed as her legs refused to support her. This time she welcomed the darkness when it came.
************
Arianna felt the rocking of the ship when it was first hit, but it didn ’t register as anything more than turbulence behind the shielding in which she was ensconced. When the second blast hit, it knocked her off balance and she frowned and crossed from her reactor room to the doorway that led into the rest of engineering. What she saw may her cringe and what she felt made her panic.
The reactor was still stable, the shielding strong and almost impenetrable. But the rest of engineering, though also shielded, had not fared nearly as well. The shielding was not as strong, since most of the systems here were redundant to others spread throughout the ship; but beyond that, there were a number of energy collection ports – places meant to attract the energy shock of an attack to divert the destruction of vital parts of the ship. In theory, they were supposed to absorb the impact energy and redirect it back from whence it came – a theory that might have proven out had the ship been operating at peak efficient capacity... or even with all systems up and running. The circumstances, however, were less than ideal when the blow fell, and instead of sending the energy back to its origination point, the ship simply absorbed it... causing an overload of massive proportions throughout the engineering section.
Now Mordecai lay several feet away from the console at which he had been working, and even from this distance, Arianna could see the yellow blood on his clothing and skin. His chest was moving steadily, so she was assured he was alive, but beyond that, she knew he needed medical attention. Danny was crouched nearby, hands over his head as though to protect himself from any more possible explosions. She could see hints of purple blood spatter as well, but at least he appeared to be somewhat cognizant of what was happening.
The thing that concerned her the most, though, was the lack of feeling from Eli. She hadn ’t realized it before, but the ability to sense Eli had developed into a comforting background noise in her psyche – something she sorely missed when it was unexpectedly gone. Where was she? What had happened?? Why couldn ’t Arianna sense something... anything... from her mate???
Before she allowed herself to panic too much, she called out to Danny to grab the medkit. When he didn ’t immediately respond, she crossed the room and knelt at his side. A hand on his shoulder caused him to flinch, but after a brief moment, he raised his eyes to meet hers. She moved her mouth in question, but he shook his head, pointing to his ears. She signed to him then, and this time he nodded, indicating he was all right... all things considered. She took him by the arm and helped him to stand, holding him steady when he wobbled on his feet. She grabbed the emergency medkit, then together they swiftly moved to check on Mordecai.
Mordecai groaned and shifted as they approached, and Arianna put a calming hand on his shoulder. She knew he couldn ’t hear her, so she waited until his eyes met hers before she started to sign. *Stay still. We need to check the damage before we move you.*
Mordecai barely jerked his head once, then closed his eyes and focused on breathing. He felt bad enough that he wanted to puke, and he was confident that wasn ’t going to make the pain any less. Another touch brought his eyes back to Arianna. *We ’ve stopped the bleeding for now. Danny is going to give you a shot to help ease the pain. We need to get you to the infirmary so Eli can take care of you. It ’s beyond our training to do much more.”
Mordecai nodded his understanding and smiled briefly as the narcotic allowed him to relax. Then he closed his eyes again and drifted into a semi-conscious state.
Meanwhile, Arianna turned to Danny. *Stay with him. I ’m going to try to contact Eli and find out what ’s going on.*
Danny nodded and took up a sentinel post beside Mordecai, keeping a close eye on his slow, even breathing. Arianna stepped away for privacy, even though it wasn ’t really necessary given her companions ’ current deafness. She lifted the comm unit to her lips. “Eli?” Silence. “Eli?” More silence. “Amado,” she commanded, her terror rising with each passing second of silence. “Respond please!” When the link remained silent, she broadened her call, hoping someone would answer. “Eden? Jake? Is anyone there??”
“Kinda busy, Az,” Jake barked. “Fuck!!” he yelled before he broke off communication.
“Eden?”
“We ’re under attack, Az. Can this wait?”
“I don ’t think so, Eden. Eli is missing. She ’s not answering my calls.” Another blast shook the ship, and Arianna flinched as yet another console blew and the shock knocked her to the floor. Fortunately, it was far enough away from her as well as where Danny and Mordecai were that it caused minimal damage to them, but she knew the ship – and they - couldn ’t survive many more like it. She crawled back into the reactor room, and began disassembling the warheads of the torpedoes they had concocted to be decoys.
“Damn. All right – I ’ll see what I can do, but it may be a little while. Don ’t know who or what is attacking us, but they seem intent on blowing us out of the sky. Titus and Isaac should be on their way to you.”
“Good. I ’m arming and loading the torpedoes Paul built. I ’ll let you know when they ’re ready for firing.”
“Do that. And Az... be as fast as you can. I don ’t know how much....”
“I ’m all over it,” she assured with a tremor in her voice. Then she cut her comm link. No matter how much she needed to know about Eli and how badly she wanted to go searching for her, Arianna still had a job to do. This time it was personal, and whoever was behind this was going to pay.
************
Eden had been lucky – when the first blast hit, she had just stepped into Hannah ’s cubicle to let Esther and Luke know that she was leaving Paul to monitor the shields in the infirmary. And even though it knocked them all to the floor, they were far enough apart that they fell individually. The guys – still gathered around the computer console - hadn ’t been so lucky. They ’d been knocked into a tangled, dog pile mess. So there was a lot of grumbling and cursing going on when Eden rushed out to find out what had just happened.
“Jake!! Report!!” Silence. “JAKE!!”
“Eden, it ’s Mimi. We ’re under attack and Jake ’s a little busy right now. Can I help you?”
“Under attack?? By who??”
“Dunno, but they seem pretty intent on trying destroy us. Jake ’s trying to keep us from getting hit – we ’ve got nothing to fire at them right now – the weapons systems are offline.”
Eden motioned to Isaac and Titus who had finally managed to right themselves, and without hesitation, they nodded and headed out of the infirmary toward engineering. “I ’m sending Titus and Isaac to help rectify that little problem. I ’m on my way to you.”
“Oka....” The second blast cut off Naomi ’s response, and pushed Eden to the floor again. Eden chanced to wonder if something had happened to Naomi personally or the comm system itself, but she didn ’t stop to find out. Instead she called out to Luke and Esther, then hastened out of sickbay, intent on getting to the bridge as quickly as she could.
************
Eden used an emergency hatch to climb to the bridge, certain it was the fastest and easiest way to get there. She was breathing heavy when she opened the hatch just outside the closed and locked doors, and she raised her comm link to her lips as soon as she caught her breath. “Jake, it ’s me. Pop the lock and let me in.”
It took bare seconds before the doors hissed, but they didn ’t open. Eden forced her hands between them, and pushed them apart enough to allow her entrance, then shoved them together again. She saw Naomi slouched against her console and crossed to move her. There was blood all over, but the station was necessary, so she gently placed Naomi on the floor and took the seat beside Jake.
“Where ’s Eli??” she demanded. Jake didn ’t respond with more than a bare shrug. “Report,” she requested quietly when she realized he wasn ’t going to elaborate. Jake didn ’t take his eyes from his console, but he answered almost immediately.
“They came out of nowhere... from somewhere behind us. Still don ’t know who they are, and I can ’t get a bead on them. Not that it matters as long as the weapons ’ systems are offline.” At that moment, Arianna ’s voice cut in.
“Eden? Jake? Is anyone there??”
“Kinda busy, Az,” Jake barked. “Fuck!!” he yelled before he broke off communication. Another explosion rocked the ship and Jake struggled to keep them from plummeting back to the planet from which they had so recently departed.
“Eden?” He was peripherally aware of Arianna speaking again, but he was straining to keep the ship under control. He felt Eden turn to him and cocked his head slightly to let her know he was listening.
“Az is loading the torpedo tubes right now. She ’ll let us know as soon as they ’re ready so we can fire on this asshat.” Her eyes widened as she realized what she had said... and what Jake had informed her of before. “Look for a power spike – I bet this is that Mischief character... back from the Void.”
“Seriously?? I thought nothing returned from the Void.”
“Apparently he can... and did.”
“Did he bring reinforcements?? Because I gotta tell you – there ’s an awful lot of shit going on, and if he hits us again, we ’re done for.”
“Eden, the torpedoes are armed and loaded. Weapon systems are functional from here if we upload the input by hand.”
“I ’ll give you the coordinates, Az. Then you fire at will, you hear me? Fire until I tell you to stop or you run out of rockets.”
“You got it, Eden.”
The comm unit went silent again, and Jake continued to struggle with the controls as Eden kept up her sweep through the Nebula. It was merely a blip that she caught out of the corner of her eye, but her gut assured her she was right when she dropped the coordinates down to Arianna in engineering. Almost immediately they felt the first torpedo leave the ship and then two more right behind it – one to either side of the center of the first. It felt like forever, but in reality was mere seconds before all three hit their target and brought it into view.
And what they saw before them made them gasp in horror.
************
“What about the planet killers?” Isaac asked as he and Titus finished loading the third torpedo into the tube. Arianna had parts of several other decoys scattered around her and was rebuilding them with active warheads faster than seemed humanly possible.
“Last resort,” she muttered, laying a completed missile aside and reaching for another. “Given the damage we ’ve sustained, I ’m confident it would kill us too. We don ’t have the wherewithal to move away fast enough.”
“That would absolutely suck,” Titus muttered as he eased the torpedo from her grasp. “You should let Eden know we ’re ready for the first volley. Isaac and I ’ll keep working to arm the rest of these things. Hopefully, we ’ll hit something with those and buy us a little time.”
“Fingers crossed,” Arianna agreed, then she contacted Eden.
It didn ’t take long. The coordinates came in from the bridge and Arianna ’s fingers flew across the console to input them into the firing system. Then it was simply a matter of launching them and waiting for results.
They knew by the shockwave they felt reverberating throughout the ship that they had hit... something... but before they could either celebrate or prepare to fire a second volley, Eden ’s voice came down the pipe.
“Hold your fire, Az. I repeat... Hold. Your. Fire.”
************
“Incoming encrypted transmission from Lt. Joseph Cornell,” the computer voice announced just before she heard the familiar voice.
“Mama? I think we have a problem.”
“I ’m pretty sure we ’ve got more than one at this point.” She squinted at the view screen. “Where are you?”
“On the Storm Surge. We pulled out of space dock a few hours ago. This is the first chance I ’ve had to contact you.”
“Is this part of the war games you were scheduled to be in?”
Joseph shook his head. “I don ’t know. Nothing has come down the pipe since we left, but....”
“But what?”
“You know the games were postponed so they could install the new fuission reactors in the ship.” Mary nodded. “They finished the installation earlier today.” His brow furrowed. “But the scientists were escorted off the ship as soon as the last bolt was tightened. They declared the reactor fit and ready for duty. Mama, usually they remain until the new systems have been completely vetted – through the testing and tweaking phases of installation. We haven ’t actually done that part yet.” He sighed. “Also, in typical war games, the officers at least have some idea of what ’s going on – the higher the rank, the more you know. But I can ’t find anyone who has the first clue about what ’s really happening; we can ’t even get confirmation if this is part of the war games exercise; if there is a true emergency we ’ve been ordered to; or if something else all together is going on. I ’ve tried reaching Nat and Ian, but so far I ’ve gotten no response from them. I ’m not even sure if we ’re travelling in the fleet convoy or if we ’re out here on our own.”
“Can you tell what direction you ’re headed in?”
“That ’s probably the most troubling thing of all. I ’m pretty sure we ’re following the path the Outreach took – the same route you had me check earlier. And I ’m not a big believer in coincidence.”
“Neither am I.” Mary wiped a hand over her eyes. “Keep your eyes and ears open, and keep me in the loop as much as possible. I ’ll try to contact the boys as well – surely between us we can find out what we need to know. I do think it ’s time to rally the troops. Given the head start you ’ve got, it may be all over but the shouting when the rest of us arrive, but we ’ll get there eventually.”
“Do you think that ’s wise, Mama?” He flinched when she glared at him, but he didn ’t drop his gaze. “There are hired mercenaries and entire cultures still searching for those kids – ready and willing to do anything to ensure they don ’t succeed. If you and their parents come blazing out here, it ’s just going to bring attention to them. And that ’s going to put them in even more danger.”
Mary sighed. She knew he was right, but that didn ’t make the truth any less vexing. And to add insult to injury, she should have known better – DID know better, in point of fact – had even been reminded of it recently. Apparently, her forced R&R period had done nothing toward keeping her mind sharp. “I know that. I just keep hoping....”
“You want to make it better... just like you always do,” Joseph broke in. “Not a bad thing usually, but in this case, not possible either.”
“I think I ’m suffering from brain damage.”
“I ’d still put my money on you, Mama, any day of the week.”
Mary snorted and shook her head. “What about the Storm Surge, Joseph? Assuming you ’re right and you are pursuing the Outreach, how are you going to keep that many sailors quiet? There ’s no way their secret won ’t get out.”
“You leave that to me. Those kids will get their chance.”
Mary eyes him suspiciously, but Joseph maintained his impassive countenance. “All right. I ’m trusting you, Joseph, but I ’m trusting you to bring yourself home as well.”
“I ’ll do everything in my power.”
“See that you do, my son.” With that, the screen went dark. Mary glanced at her chronometer, then rose from her seat at the desk and limped to the door. Caleb was waiting when she opened it, and she took his proffered arm with a pained smile. He patted her hand and they started down the corridor. They had some talking to do and some decisions to make.
Chapter XXXIX
Almost the identical moment the screen went dark after their first conversation, Mary turned her attention back to the initial report Joseph had sent. A knock sounded on her door. She smirked slightly, having suspected that Caleb had been lurking nearby in case of an emergency. “Come in,” she beckoned, then leaned back and waited for him to cross the threshold.
“You wanted to see me, Chief?”
“Should I ask how you knew I was going to need you? Because neither one of us believe in coincidence.”
“True,” Caleb agreed with a sheepish shrug. “I have alerts set to notify me whenever one of the kids call. Almost without fail, you ’ll call me right after.”
Mary frowned. She wondered when she had become so dependent on him. It was all so unfair to him to keep him with her, and yet, she couldn ’t imagine her life without him in it. Caleb waited patiently watching the emotions flit across Mary ’s face with more than a hint of curiosity in his own. After a moment, she seemed to come back to herself and returned her eyes to his gaze, then cocked an eyebrow at him and tilted her head. “What?” she asked.
“I was going to ask you the same thing. You looked pretty lost in thought there.”
“Nothing important,” she replied, brushing off any questions he had before he could give voice to them. “Have you been keeping up with things?”
“As much as I can. I sent out feelers to some of our old black ops teammates as soon as we knew those kids were going off the grid. Thanks to Ian ’s efforts, we ’ve got a fairly good idea of where they are as well as where they ’re headed, and it wouldn ’t take a significant amount of effort to confirm things either – we have ships in the area. It would take a little stealth, mind you, but not much effort.” He smiled at the last and Mary smiled in understanding.
It had been a running joke between her and Edward – and Edward ’s colleagues – that effort wasn ’t an issue among them. They were units that got things done no matter how unorthodox the methods. Stealth, on the other hand – making sure they didn ’t get caught utilizing those same unorthodox methods – that was an entirely different circumstance. Fortunately, it was something they ’d gotten very good at over the years.
“Get in touch with them and find out what they know. Joseph says the kids are completely off the grid now – not on that moon or anywhere else that he can find.”
Caleb nodded. “Will do, Chief. Do you have him looking elsewhere... anywhere specific?”
“He ’s checking out the Nusnaigewron Nebula. Despite the rules and warnings concerning the phenomenon, it is the most likely area for problems to occur given their suspected route. Lots of things could be hiding there, and we have no way of knowing what any of them really are. Tell the unit to be careful, though. I don ’t want to lose any of them to whatever unknown has found the Alpha Team.”
“They will, Chief. You know they ’re the best at what they do.”
“Doesn ’t mean they ’re invincible, Caleb,” she snapped. “I ’ve lost enough!” She drew a shaky breath and drew a hand across her eyes. “Sorry,” she apologized. “I just... losing those kids.... And now I have to tell their parents.”
Caleb studied Mary for a long moment, pinching his bottom lip between his thumb and forefinger. He could see the continued exhaustion and the residual pain lurking in her eyes despite the months that had passed and wondered how he could make it better. “I have an idea about that,” he said when the silence dragged on awkwardly. She gave him a questioning glance. “Let ’s bring the parents here... to Joy ’s. It wouldn ’t be like it was with the kids – no security for one thing. They could take the brownstones on either side of hers. That way they could all be together, but still be relatively independent. Joy wouldn ’t need to play hostess unless she wanted to.”
“I don ’t think that ’s possible... at least in some cases. Both Aurora and Eve are leaders among their people – they can ’t simply drop everything to come hang out here indefinitely to support each other no matter what they desire to do.”
“Well, maybe it could be a temporary situation – you know, for a week or something. Or....” he hesitated briefly before plunging ahead. “I know it ’s a prototype, but wouldn ’t Queen Aurora have a fuission reactor? The original that Arianna built when she was testing out her theories?”
“She should. Why?”
“Maybe we could borrow it – see about putting some of the more local black ops personnel on a ship to find those kids... give them some help if they need it until they get established. That should give their parents some peace of mind and reassurance about their kids.”
“Isn ’t that kind of like cheating?”
“Do you really care at this point?”
“Not as long as I get to go too.”
His eyes widened and his jaw dropped before he snapped it closed and shook his head vehemently. “No, Mary. No way. You ’re already on probation. Pretty sure the Council would actually lock you up if you went after those kids.” He rose and started to pace.
“We don ’t need to tell them. What they don ’t know won ’t hurt anyone in this instance.”
“And if they do find out?? What then?? Gods, I can ’t believe you would be so rash... so stupid....”
“Careful, Caleb,” she warned, narrowing her eyes. “You ’re treading a very thin line.”
He whirled to face her. “So are you! And you know better!!” He scrubbed a hand over his face, then turned toward the door. “I need to contact the rest of the security team, and then I need to get ahold of the unit.” He reached for the doorknob. “You know where to find me if you need me.”
The door closed on silence.
************
The next time Joseph called – a little more than a week later – Mary and Caleb still hadn ’t spoken beyond the perfunctory reports that passed between them. He hadn ’t waited for her to call him when Joseph made contact again; instead he knocked on her door and waited for her invitation to enter. She didn ’t even hesitate... even though she knew he was waiting on the other side. The strain on their relationship had gone on too long due to her foolishness – it was her responsibility to fix it now.
“Come in, Caleb,” she beckoned, folding her hands together on the desk and meeting his eyes as he crossed the threshold.
“Is everything all right, Chief?” he asked with concern, startled by how exhausted she appeared. “Are you...?”
She waved away his concern. “I am a foolish old woman, and I owe you an apology.”
“You don ’t owe me....”
“I was wrong.”
“Perhaps,” he conceded solemnly. “But your heart was in the right place.”
“Unlike my mind, apparently.”
Caleb chuckled at her droll admission and Mary gave him a wry smile. “Well, you ’ve never done very well when you ’re not in control of the situation – though in fairness, most of us don ’t. It couldn ’t really be helped this time though. Personally, I think we ’ve done spectacularly... all things considered.”
Mary nodded. “I ’ll agree with that. I don ’t think we ’ve ever dealt with a cluster quite as massive as this whole situation. Knowing doesn ’t do anything to calm my inner control freak though.”
“Inner control freak... outer control freak – not really a lot of difference there, Chief,” Caleb commented with a completely straight face and the barest hint of a twinkle in his eyes.
Mary glared at him for a long moment before allowing herself to break into a smile... that was followed by a snort and then genuine laughter. Only after that did Caleb break character and allow himself to laugh as well.
Finally Mary drew a deep breath to speak. “God, that felt good. Seems like forever since I ’ve laughed like that.”
“It ’s been a while,” Caleb replied. “Are you certain everything is all right? Beyond what ’s happening with those kids, I mean?” She tilted her head thoughtfully at him and hurried on. “Something ’s been off with you for a while, Chief. We ’ve all noticed it.”
Mary studied him a while longer, then leaned back in her chair and shook her head. “I don ’t know, Caleb – I really don ’t know. I can ’t... I ’m not.... She huffed out an impatient breath. “I ’m pretty sure I should have died from the damage that was done by that shredder bullet. I probably would have if it hadn ’t been for Eli and subsequently Eve.”
“But...?” he encouraged when her words tapered into silence.
“But I ’m not well. I haven ’t recovered back to where I was before I was shot, and even though things are certainly not as dire as they were when it happened, I don ’t seem to be getting any better. Granted, I ’m not worse, but.... I don ’t really know how to explain it.”
“You don ’t have to – I get it. Have you tried talking to Eve? Perhaps there is more....”
“She is a clan leader and respected shamaness among her People. I ’m not going to keep her from the responsibilities she has to a planet full of People because I am always tired. That ’s the epitome of selfish, and I ’m trying to be better about that.”
“You ’re one of the most unselfish people I know.”
“Not really,” Mary argued, “but it doesn ’t matter,” waving away his quarrel before he could utter a word. “What ’s the word from the ops team?”
“There is evidence to support the fact that the Alpha Team hazarded into the nebula, but without venturing in themselves, there ’s no way to get a clear and concise picture of what is happening. Matt says their readings are all over the place.”
Mary nodded slowly. “That coincides with what Joseph just told me. What kind of evidence?” For answer, he simply handed her his Pad and relaxed back into the chair. Then he leaned forward again when she reached her Pad across to him. “Turnabout is fair play,” she answered when he cocked a brow at her. “This is everything Joseph has sent me so far. I reckoned you knew he called.”
“I did. That ’s why I brought Matt ’s reports with me. I assumed you ’d want to compare them.”
“When did you get these?” waving towards the Pad resting on her desk.
“This morning. I wanted a chance to go through them before I passed them on to you.”
“Anything pertinent I should know about?”
“Beyond what I already told you?” He shook his head. “Not really. They are waiting for the arrival of a couple more ships before pressing forward into the Nebula. None of them are really equipped for it, but at least with a few of them there, we should be able to get some reliable readings about what ’s really going on.”
Mary sighed and absently rubbed her leg. “I really do hate this.”
“I know. Truthfully, everyone is a little frustrated at this point. But on the plus side, everything here is mostly settled and the Beta and Gamma Teams are flourishing.”
“We should be thankful for small mercies, I suppose.”
Caleb gave Mary a half-smile. “And big ones,” he reminded her. “After all, we could have ended up with more Alpha Team type drama.”
“No,” she stated emphatically. “We ’ve had Alpha Team drama enough to last lifetimes, and apparently,” shaking the Pad she held, “we still do.”
“Keeps things from getting boring, Chief.”
“Never let it be said I ’m not a fan of boring,” she replied drolly, then both turned their attention back to their respective reading.
************
“Do you think he really doesn ’t know?” Caleb asked as Mary took his arm. He had been in the room for Joseph ’s last report, but had silently escaped to wait in the hallway when Mary once more mentioned wanting to go after the Alpha Team. That more than anything cemented his belief that something was seriously wrong with her beyond the residual pain and exhaustion she continued to suffer. He ’d make some inquiries, but in the meantime, they still had a job to do.
Mary squeezed his bicep, and he slowed his steps further to accommodate her pace. “I do,” she answered after a moment ’s silent consideration. “We both know the low men on the totem pole aren ’t always kept in the loop. Have you sent Matt the information?”
“Yes. He and Grayson and Hank are close enough to keep an eye on things if things start happening. Asher and Roland are making their way over as fast as they can, but if what Joseph just shared is true, they may not get there before the dust settles, but there ’s not much we can do about it either.”
“I noticed you ’re not commenting on my desire to go out and deal with this myself.”
“We ’ve already had that conversation, Chief. I ’m fairly confident that Joseph said the same things to you that I did, and we both know you know that despite your... insane... need to do something about the situation, you won ’t for fear of putting those kids in more danger than they ’re already in.”
“I hate you sometimes, you know... especially when you ’re being all logical and right about things. Even more when that logic and rightness is completely at odds with what I really want to do,” she added, punching him lightly in the arm. He caught her hand and placed it on her other, covering both of hers with his for a moment before grasping them lightly and releasing his grip.
“I know,” he said with a smirk. “It ’s why you keep me around. Well, that and I ’m exceptionally good at what I do.”
“No... it ’s your modesty that I ’m particularly fond of.”
“I learned that from the best, Chief. Eddie was a great instructor.”
Mary snorted. “The sad part about that statement is that he ’d agree with you if he was here.” A beat. “I still miss him, you know.”
“I know. So do I... every single day. He was my best friend.”
“Mine too.” Silence fell for a while, and it took a few minutes before she looked around and realized she didn ’t actually recognize where they were. “Where are we? And where are we going, anyway?”
Caleb laughed and turned them around to head back the way they came. “I was wondering when you were going to notice,” he teased. “You didn ’t even comment when we walked outside. I decided you needed to get out for a few minutes... for a change of scenery if nothing else.”
Mary just smirked and shook her head. “Considering I don ’t even recall putting my coat on, I probably need more than that. Too bad we don ’t have time for more,” she added as she took a deep breath. “I ’m enjoying the fresh air... and the company.”
“Maybe we can do this again soon,” Caleb offered. “But first we need to get back to Joy ’s. Everything should be in place, and everyone ready.”
“Everyone?? Who ’s everyone? And ready for what??” She narrowed her eyes at him. “What are you planning, Caleb?”
“Something that you would have, Chief, if you weren ’t still suffering from the after-effects of that shredder. But we ’re going to see about taking care of that too as soon we get business out of the way.” He held up his free hand. “Work with me here a little, Chief.”
“Don ’t I always?” Mary asked dryly.
Caleb snorted. “Most of the time, but not always. Otherwise, I ’d have convinced you to give me a chance by now. But that ’s neither here nor there at the moment. Right now, our focus needs to be on what we can do to help those kids. The rest will wait until later.”
Mary didn ’t say the ‘or never ’ , that was floating around in her mind. Instead, she concentrated on the other part of Caleb ’s statement. “There ’s not much we can do from here except wait and pray.”
“Oh, I don ’t know about that, Chief,” he replied candidly as they slowly limped up the steps of the brownstone.
“God, that ’s exhausting,” Mary muttered as they reached the landing.
“Do you need a minute?”
“More than,” she admitted with a deep breath, “but we really don ’t have that kind of time to spare.” She motioned to the door and he opened it without hesitation. “Thank you, Caleb. However brief, I really needed that respite.”
“It was my pleasure, Mary,” he assured her with a smile, watching her eyes widen at his familiarity. “Come... we have work to do. And people waiting for us.”
She stepped into the hallway and frowned, crossing her arms over her chest. “Who is waiting? Did you assemble the team?”
“Something like that, Chief. Come on – give me your coat. We don ’t want to keep them waiting.”
Mary sighed loudly, but did as she was bidden, and a moment later, Caleb had tucked a hand under her elbow and was leading her down into the basement. She limped as gracefully as she could manage, not having a clue what to expect, and feeling her jaw genuinely swing on its hinges when she saw what was waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs.
Chapter XL
After the stealthy departure of the Alpha Team, and before her hearing by the Council, Mary had surreptitiously arranged for both the Beta and Gamma Teams to be removed from public purview. It wasn ’t that she didn ’t trust the Council, per se, but their track record regarding the Project and its participants left much to be desired. She figured she ’d get ahead of the game before they put her out of the running, and her team had unanimously agreed with her decision.
They had worked out a rotating cycle, and a way to conceal their movement to keep from drawing attention to what they were doing, and the Beta and Gamma Teams were sequestered with no one the wiser to their whereabouts. And since all of Mary ’s agents – save Caleb who remained by her side to assume the role of leadership once she was suspended – were periodically seen out and about either working with other clients, meeting with Caleb or on apparent holiday, no one considered that they, under Mary ’s instruction, had quarantined the remaining Project Team members. In fact, it was generally assumed that the teams had taken it upon themselves to disappear to remain safe until they were ready to begin their own missions.
And since her six-month suspension was nearly up, it wouldn ’t be much of a surprise – on the off chance that anyone was actually watching her for clues on the whereabouts of said missing Teams - to see that most of her agents had come together as a unit to rally around her for support.
So Mary wasn ’t completely discombobulated to step into Joy ’s broad rehearsal area to find her team standing around the circumference of the room. They had always had one another ’s backs even when they disagreed about something, and had continued their work for her despite her suspension. She knew they cared about those kids – and their other charges, for that matter – almost as much as she did, and she couldn ’t stop the broad grin that lit up her tired countenance when they all straightened at her appearance on the stairs.
She took a minute and let her gaze wander to each of them, meeting their eyes and nodding her head slightly at each salute she was given. She was so wrapped up in acknowledging her team, that it took her a moment to realize they weren ’t the only people in the room... not by a long shot. She blinked slowly, and then again when nothing changed. Then she shook her head and turned back to meet Caleb ’s gaze with questioning eyes. He squeezed her elbow and offered a gentle smile.
“They ’re here for you, Chief. They ’re all here for you.”
“But how?? And why??”
Aurora rose from her spot and the people parted to allow her to elegantly make her way over to the stairs where Mary still stood. Mary looked at her with a dumbfounded expression, and Aurora gave her an understanding smile and held out a hand for Mary to accept.
“All will be explained in good time, my friend. But please... join us for some refreshment first. Then we will regale you with our tale. I promise it ’s a good one.”
Mary took Aurora ’s warm hand in her own and clenched it briefly, though she didn ’t release it as she looked around the room, noting the twinkling eyes of the three children she had given birth to staring back at her. She cocked an eyebrow. “You instigated this?”
“We... facilitated,” Ian corrected, smirking at the second eyebrow rising at his smart remark. He bowed his head slightly in apology when her expression hardened at his flippancy. “It was necessary... and important... for all of us.”
Mary turned back to meet Aurora ’s eyes. She clasped the hand she held once more before completely relaxing her hand. “Very well,” she agreed. “It really is wonderful to see you all again,” glancing around the room at the smiling faces of not only the parents of the Alpha Team, but those of the Beta and Gamma Teams as well. She risked a glance back at Caleb. “This is your doing, I suppose?”
“Caleb... facilitated... as well,” Eve responded before he could answer as she took her place on Mary ’s other side. “We wanted to be here when you went before the Council again, and he ensured we were made aware of when that would be. Anything else is simply fortuitous timing,” letting her healer ’s eyes roam Mary ’s body and frowning at what they told her. “How are you really?”
“Crazy,” Mary responded immediately, garnering her the laughter from around the room that she expected. But her eyes told the truth of her pain and exhaustion, and Eve snapped her lips closed to keep from betraying what Mary refused to share.
“Well, it ’s good to know some things don ’t change,” Noah quipped unexpectedly, drawing another round of laughter. “You certainly shouldn ’t be any different than the rest of us.”
May smirked at him. “Oh, but I am, Noah. They don ’t call me the Head Loon for nothing, you know!” laughing when he held up his hands in surrender as Eve swept her gently into the seat Noah had just graciously vacated for her use.
“Fair enough,” he conceded. “I ’m confident you have actually earned that title. Now... will you tell us why we were really brought here, please? As nice as it ’s been to visit everyone again and to meet some new friends, even I know we were brought here for a purpose other than your hearing. Can you share now?”
“Noah,” Eve chided softly and shook her head the minutest amount. Mary placed a hand on her arm before she could scold him further.
“It ’s all right, Eve. I ’m a little curious to know the reason myself,” turning back toward Caleb and her kids. “I had nothing to do with bringing you all here again. I know you have responsibilities beyond....”
“We have responsibilities to our family,” Aurora cut in. “And aren ’t we family first?”
“Yes, of course, but....”
“No no... no arguments. None of us has shirked our responsibilities to our planets or people to be here. But this is important too.”
“What is? My hearing?” Mary asked with confusion. “It ’s mostly a formality. I haven ’t done anything I wasn ’t supposed to – well... not much anyway. Caleb has been running the day-to-day business and the Beta and Gamma Teams were taken care of before I was placed on suspension.”
“And of course, you haven ’t been monitoring the progress of the Alpha Team,” Eve stated dryly with a raised eyebrow.
“Not exactly. Not directly, at any rate.”
“That ’s what I thought.”
“I have managed to lose them, though,” Mary continued as though Eve hadn ’t spoken. Eve blinked and gaped at her a moment, noting everyone was listening intently to their conversation.
“You lost them? Mary, how could you possibly lose them? They are off the grid – those were your words to us when they left under cover of darkness. I am fairly certain you cannot lose what you never actually had, and once those kids determined to make their own way, they were truly beyond your scope.”
“Not exactly,” Mary said again, absently rubbing her thigh. Aurora took her hand and held it lightly, even as Eve began a gently massage. Mary closed her eyes in relief for a moment, then realized what had happened. Brown eyes popped open in panic, and Aurora gripped her hand a little more firmly, forcing Mary to focus on her calm and reassuring expression.
“Let us share your burden, Mary. You don ’t have to carry this alone any more.”
“THAT is the reason I asked them to come, Chief. I knew if you wouldn ’t listen to me, you might listen to them.”
She cut her eyes in his direction. “We ’ll be talking about this later.”
Caleb shrugged. “As long as you listen to them now.”
“If you ’re going to talk to Caleb, then you ’re going to have to talk to us too,” Nathaniel interrupted. “He talked to us about it first. We ’re the ones who encouraged him and helped arrange all this.”
“Enough!” Mary said quietly but with exacting authority. “We will be talking about this LATER,” she added, carefully removing Eve ’s hand from her leg and releasing Aurora ’s grip on her hand. Eve and Aurora ’s exchanged sad glances as Mary stood, but let her go, knowing she felt embarrassed and put on the spot. With a little luck, she would open up to them privately, but for the moment, she needed to feel in control of things that were currently spiraling away from her at a rapid pace.
Mary stepped away from the center of the room, carefully making her way to the stairs before turning to address them. At least this way, she could see them all and no one could sneak up on her from behind. She ’d been ambushed enough for one day... or one lifetime, she thought sourly.
She drew in a deep breath and released it slowly. “If you ’ll all excuse me, I need to go to my office and retrieve my notes so I can bring you all up to date on what ’s going on – what we know, anyway. It ’s going to take me a few minutes, though, so please enjoy whatever hospitality my daughter has provided.” She smiled weakly. “I promise you won ’t be disappointed.”
She turned to make her way up the stairs, grimacing as she steeled herself for a trip she knew was going to hurt. But before she could take the first step, she found Joy beside her, unobtrusively taking the arm that wasn ’t holding onto the railing.
“I need to fetch more cookies from the kitchen,” she said in response to Mary ’s unasked question.
Mary nodded abruptly and they headed upstairs without another word or a backwards glance.
************
It stayed still and silent in the basement until the door closed softly behind them. Only then did everyone draw a deep breath, and every eye turned to Caleb. He had actually taken a step to intercept Mary on the stairs when Joy ’s hand on his arm and a shake of her head halted any further movement. Instead, he waited with the rest until the furiously angry woman was gone, not at all surprised to find everyone looking at him for an explanation.
Noah actually crossed his arms over his muscular chest and reached up a hand to stoke his beard. “I think you need to start talking, Caleb.”
Caleb nodded. “I think you ’re right.”
************
Mary didn ’t protest when Joy continued to escort her further upstairs until they reached her office. Truth was, she was exhausted. She ’d done more walking than she did most days, and this day wasn ’t even half over yet. She was confident the remainder of her day was going to be even more unpleasant. She gently patted the hand curled around her elbow.
“Thank you, Joy. You should probably....”
“ ... wait for you to get your notes. Don ’t even,” she said firmly. “You don ’t have to pretend you ’re not in pain, Mama. We know. We ’ve known for a while. We just want to help.”
“So you staged an intervention?” Mary asked with a smirk, though her eyes remained shadowed.
“Sort of,” Joy conceded, “but not exactly.” She huffed lightly. “You may not want to accept help because of your pride or whatever, but we know this is serious and we ’re willing to do whatever it takes to keep you here with us for as long as we can. I, for one, have no desire to explain to my new little sister or her mate why you ’re not around anymore, all right?”
Mary blinked slowly as the fervor behind Joy ’s words burned a path into her brain. Then her eyes widened in surprise. Joy snickered, and Mary couldn ’t stop the small smile even as she shook her head and turned her attention to unlocking her office door. She and Joy crossed the threshold together, and Joy walked her to her desk before releasing her arm.
“I guess you feel pretty strongly about this then,” Mary said as she gently eased into her chair with a sigh of relief. Her hand automatically went to her thigh and began massaging the ever-present ache.
“We all do. It ’s just no one has ever ‘manned-up ’ enough to say something to you, instead of discussing it around you or behind your back.”
Mary snorted. “Figures my girl would be the one to ‘man-up ’ first.”
Joy rolled her eye and shrugged. “Of course. Have you met her mama?? Your kid learned from the best.”
“As long as she understands I ’m still the Head Crazy around here. I earned that title.”
“Mama, I don ’t think I ’ll live long enough to challenge that title.”
Mary chuckled softly and Joy laughed in sheer relief at hearing that sound. It had been far too rare in the last few months, and it gave her hope. Mary sighed after a few moments and closed her eyes, leaning her head back against the chair. She blinked her eyes open slowly when Joy ’s hand covered her own.
“Is there something I can get for you, Mama? Or would you like me to call down and let the extended family know you ’re done for the day? They ’d understand. Caleb and the boys can answer any questions they have for the moment, and honestly, there ’s nothing that won ’t wait until your hearing in a couple days.”
“No. They deserve to know... especially the Alpha Team parents, and I don ’t think this is something that will wait. Something is happening out there in that Nebula, and they deserve all the information we have, so they can be prepared in case....”
“You expect the worst.”
“Most of the time - because I usually pay very dearly for the few times I don ’t. I ’ve learned I ’d much rather err on the side of caution and be pleasantly surprised.”
“So what do you expect... really?”
Mary sighed. “Worst case scenario? A lot of dead bodies.”
Joy paled slightly. “That ’s kind of... that... just....”
“I know. But we always knew it was a possibility.”
“No wonder you ’re the Head Crazy. That makes me kind of sick just to think about.”
“Exactly. And that more than anything else is the reason those parents need whatever information I ’ve got – so they can prepare themselves for the worst.”
“Do you think it will come to that?”
“I think it is a distinct possibility. But I don ’t believe it is inevitable.”
Joy smiled wanly. “Eternal optimist, huh?”
“It helps me get through the day sometimes.” She sighed again, and picked up her Pad and Caleb ’s, closing her eyes briefly before pushing up out of her chair with a grimace. Joy remained by her side, tucking Mary ’s hand firmly around her elbow and easing them from behind the desk.
When they reached the door, Joy looked at her seriously. “I know you need a private space for your business office, but I think it ’s time we considered moving you to the ground level... at least for a while. The trips up and dawn the stairs are sapping what little strength you ’ve got.”
“I ’ve given it some thought,” Mary confessed, “but I ’m normally not quite as mobile as I ’ve been today. Today ’s been an exception.”
“Maybe,” Joy conceded as they slowly made their way down toward the kitchen. “But you ’re still expending a lot of energy and effort that you really can ’t afford to be.”
“I ’m not going to stop doing just because I ’m not a hundred percent healed, Baby Girl.”
“Mama, you ’re not healed at all!! I can see you wasting away in front of my eyes!!” Joy turned away so Mary couldn ’t see her tears, but she never released her support. Mary gripped her arm tighter and pulled them to a stop just as they reached the bottom landing.
“Joy?”
“We already lost Daddy too soon,” she replied quietly, feeling Mary flinch beneath her touch. “I don ’t blame him exactly, and neither do the boys, because he died being who he was – a warrior and hero to so many. But we ’re still angry with him for dying... for choosing to go out and put himself at risk AGAIN, for no other reason that it was his duty.”
“That ’s who he was.”
“I know that, Mama. It doesn ’t make it hurt any less. He chose duty over family. He always did... even when there were others who could have taken his place because it wasn ’t just what he did - it was who he was. But at least as we got older, it was easier to understand – not accept, but we understood it. But at least when he died, he went out the way he would have chosen to go... doing his duty and serving others. You ’re not even putting up a fight!”
Anger flared in Mary ’s brown eyes before it simmered into sadness. “I have been, Baby Girl. Just because you haven ’t seen it.... I ’ve been in touch with Tom on a weekly basis – sometimes almost daily. And I ’m pretty sure, that despite my rather clear instructions on the matter, he ’s been in regular contact with Eve. There ’s nothing they can do, really – not for lack of trying, but simply because this... whatever it is,” motioning towards her leg, “is beyond their scope. I might should have been a little more prudent about gathering information from those mercenaries before executing them.” She sighed again. “Ah well – act in haste....”
“You ’ll at least let Eve check you out while she ’s here? Maybe seeing you directly instead of through Dr. Tom ’s reports or via sat vid will give her a fresh perspective.”
Mary shook her head. “I doubt it, but if it will make you feel better....”
“It would.”
“All right. But for now, I ’ve got work to do and you ’ve got cookies to fetch. I ’ll meet you downstairs?”
Joy shook her head. “Pretty sure the boys followed us up to retrieve the cookies.” She cocked an eyebrow. “When was the last time you ever knew them to wait for me when it came time to eat cookies in this house?”
“Point taken.”
“Good. Then let ’s get back downstairs and get business out of the way so we can have some family time. Everybody brought something to share for dinner tonight and the smells have been driving me crazy most of the afternoon.”
“How did I miss that?” Mary asked, taking a big sniff.
“One track mind,” Joy replied succinctly. “And when dinner ’s finished, Eve can give you a checkup.”
“Pot... meet kettle.” Joy rolled her eyes as they headed back downstairs where everyone was waiting.