But what she was really interested in were the classified ads.
Back when she and Viktis were together, they’d used a complicated code to communicate with each other while they were out on jobs. If he and Finn needed her now, that’s how they’d get a hold of her. As she read through them, her shoulders slumped. Nothing.
Renna tossed the tablet on the bed and rested her head in her hands. In this situation, no news was good news, no matter how much she missed them. She should be happy they didn’t need her. But she ached to know Finn was all right. That he was safe from Pallas. Gods, when had she gotten so obsessed? Finn was a soldier; he could take care of himself. And she’d do no one any good if she worried about him instead of the job at hand.
It had to be all the time on her hands. She had nothing else to think about besides Finn. The sooner she got out of here, the better.
Renna slid off the bed, landing lightly on her feet. The room bobbed like a ship, and she swallowed back a surge of nausea as she clutched the edge of the bed. Evidently, Samil’s device had affected her more than she’d thought. Her head still buzzed at a low-level frequency, almost like a mosquito flitting around her head. That could stop any time now.
She crossed gingerly to the washbasin and splashed her face with water. It helped calm the spinning a bit and she took a deep breath. The residual pain from the attack had finally started to fade, but her mind kept coming back to the fact that Samil’s device had felt like something crawling through her brain. Her skin erupted in goose bumps. The doctor better know what she was doing. Becoming a cyborg was not in Renna’s retirement plan.
“Renna.” Her door slid open, and Dallas strode into the room. His eyebrows furrowed as he took in her pale face and shadowed eyes. “Dr. Samil said you weren’t feeling well after your test this morning. Any better?”
Renna shrugged. “I’ll live. What’s the news?”
“The admiral has assigned you a ship and crew. The Eris is one of the best small cruisers we have. Weapons functionality is limited, as this is a stealth mission, not an attack mission. But she’s a beauty. I’m sure you’ll love her.”
“That was fast. What’s the admiral’s game here? Why does she trust me with this?”
“I thought this is what you wanted.” He stood in parade rest, arms behind his back, but he watched her warily, as if he was analyzing her every word.
Renna ignored the discomfort of being studied so closely and shrugged. “It was. I just didn’t expect to get it. I’m a thief, after all. Don’t you military people distrust me on principle?” It felt too easy, somehow, that they would just agree to her proposal.
“The admiral is one of the smartest people I know. Finding Finn and the Athena is her top priority, and if you’re the one who can do it, she’ll go to any lengths to get you what you need.”
She was glad they recognized that at least. Too bad they had no idea the problem was in their own organization. “How soon can I leave?”
“This afternoon.”
Renna’s eyes widened.
“There has been some debate. Dr. Samil would like to keep you under observation for several more days, but the admiral outranks her. We can’t afford to waste any more time.”
“I always knew I liked you, Major.” Renna grinned at him. “I’ll pack up my stuff and be ready to go in half an hour.”
“Good.” He leaned forward, lowering his voice. “I hope you know you can trust me completely, Renna. Right now, my only concern is finding Finn and making sure he’s all right. I don’t care what other scams you might be running.”
She tilted her head and studied his haggard face. “Based on that statement, I’m going to assume you don’t trust me.”
“Renna, I know more about your background than anyone else in this organization. I chose you to rescue Myka because I believed in you. And I backed you to find Finn for the same reason. I think you’re exactly what MYTH needs, even if they don’t know it themselves yet.” He paused, his lips twitching at the corners with a grin. “But no, I don’t trust you outside my line-of-sight. I know better than that. You should be flattered.”
She couldn’t help but return his smile. Damn, she was getting soft. A few kind words and she turned to mush.
“That being said,” Dallas continued, getting to his feet, “the admiral and her staff don’t know you nearly as well as I do. As a condition for this mission, they are requiring ship status reports every twenty-four hours.”
The happy glow faded. Dammit. So much for keeping her whereabouts secret from Pallas’s moles inside MYTH. “Of course. They’re worried I’m going to pull a Finn and steal the ship, huh?”
“You’re going to tell me the thought didn’t cross your mind?” Dallas asked, tilting his head to study her.
Renna chuckled. “Fair assessment. Fine. I’ll report in daily.”
“See that you do. You do not want them to send a recall team after you if they decide you’ve gone rogue. We also equip all of our ships with a self-destruct button, and they’re not afraid to use it.” He turned to the door. “Finish gathering your things. You leave in an hour.”
SIX
“Ready to see her?” Dallas asked as he pressed his palm to the hangar bay scanner.
Renna’s insides fluttered as she nodded. By the stars, she was as anxious as a teenager on her first date. It was just another ship, just another crew. No need to be nervous.
The door to the hanger slid open, and Renna stifled a gasp at the shiny cruiser sitting on the landing pad. At half the size of the Athena, it was still almost as long as a city block.
“The Eris runs with a crew of fifteen. It has a fully stocked med-bay and state-of-the-art stealth systems.” Dallas puffed his chest out. “One of the best new designs we have.”
“Did you have something to do with the design, sir?” she asked, letting her gaze linger over the crisp lines and curves of the beauty.
“I helped, yes, but it was a team effort.” He moved into the hangar, but his voice had softened and he smiled at her. “Come, my dear. You don’t want to keep your crew waiting.”
A dozen men and women stood at attention in front of the ship, while the maintenance crew scurried around prepping the Eris for travel. They all wore the gray-and-gold uniforms of MYTH, and most of them were human, but she spotted a few alien faces in the crowd.