Chen Read online

  She didn’t stick around to hear the rest.

  JAVAD FINISHED DICTATING the last of his care notes from the day and killed the microphone on his omnidevice. Andile hadn’t contacted him yet, and he fought against the need to call her again and try to force her hand. She was still gun-shy about family poking into her business, especially him. At the same time, she usually answered within a standard day.

  He chewed his lip and stared at the screen, thumb hovering above her name. She was fine. It had scarcely been six hours. He could worry about her if he hadn’t heard from her by tomorrow. And if need be, he could ask about anyone who’d inserted themselves into her life recently. He could play the brotherly concern card pretty well at this point. She practically expected it of him.

  Dr. Bajusz leaned around the door, face split wide in a grin. “We’re headed to the Officers’ Club for a few drinks. You interested?” She looked hopeful, but as the medical team’s unofficial mother hen, she wanted everyone to take the relaxation she felt they needed.

  “Sorry, Immalyne, I’ve got a few things left to close up. You all go, though. I can shut it down here.” Technically there’d be a skeleton crew left in place at the med center, just to handle accidents and injuries during the overnight hours, so closing up wasn’t much effort. If anything major happened, they’d all get roused to duty regardless.

  “We’ll be there for a while. It’s Lafrenz’s anniversary, you know.” She sounded unsurprised, but disappointed, and he had to ignore the gouge it cut across his feelings.

  “Okay. I’ll try to make it, but if I don’t, make sure she knows I wished her a happy one too.” They both knew he was lying, but at least she had the good grace to allow him the face-saving gesture. He transferred a chunk of cash to Bajusz’s omni. “There. First round’s on me.”

  “I don’t know how you expect to meet someone if you only work and sleep.”

  Ugh. “First, I do more than work and sleep. I have fun.” She gave him a skeptical glance, and he cut it off. “I do. And second, I’m pretty sure my relationship status isn’t work relevant.”

  Bajusz made a grumpy noise and waved her hand as she walked away. Honestly, he’d be more upset about her prodding if she didn’t do it to literally everyone on the staff. And half the military and crew she came in contact with. He also didn’t want to explain to her that he wasn’t looking for anyone else in his life until he’d done a better job carving out a place for himself, either on the Hunting Cry or in a planetary clinic somewhere. He had to make a place for himself that couldn’t be taken away by the people who’d helped him so far—either by being too good, or by being too remote to be worth their effort. He needed something to offer a partner other than long absences, strange hours, and looming dread.

  Even if the partner in question was a prickly, guarded ranger, who made him feel like a gangly teen when she talked to him.

  Javad shook his head. Chen had made her feelings for him plenty clear over the last four months. He was a nuisance to be tolerated for the sake of her wolf. Though thinking of her did remind him of one more task. He compiled a set of exercises that would help Nujalik strengthen her hip without putting too much strain on the joint. Chen would want to keep the program slow and steady, and he noted as much in his message before he sent it off and returned to his work.

  Ten minutes later his omnidevice beeped.

  “That was fast,” he muttered. He hadn’t expected a response at all, let alone one so hot on the heels of his instructions. He braced himself for what might be a scathing reply from the ranger as he flipped his omni over to view the screen.

  Excellent work isolating a wolf.

  Ice squirmed in his belly, and he felt off-balance, despite sitting down. He didn’t recognize the originating ID for the message. He’d blocked the number from earlier, but he knew it was the same sender.

  The padlock logo hovered over the message. Whoever had sent it was using a secure encryption, which meant they didn’t want any of the comms personnel on the Cry listening in. Javad swallowed to shove the tightness in his throat back into place, then stretched from his chair and tapped the door closed. After rubbing the bridge of his nose, he replied, I don’t know what you mean.

  Except he did know, or he had a good idea.

  The thinking wheel spun for a long time as his omni waited for a response. Whoever it was, they were contacting him from a good ways off. Or wanted it to seem that way.

  After what felt like too long the reply came through. We will put a team in place to acquire the wolf. Once it’s in our possession, your family is safe.

  Javad’s throat burned. He should take this to someone. Alert someone. He at least needed to tell Chen.

  Another picture of his parents’ restaurant downloaded to his phone, the clock behind the counter matching current Khonsu Local time. His mom had her back to the floor, talking through the pass-through to the kitchen. But in case you decide to get clever...

  His heart constricted, torn between his desire to warn Chen to stay on the ship and the need to keep his family safe. If whoever they were knew Chen was leaving the constellation, then they had eyes somewhere close; possibly even on board the Hunting Cry itself. Panic seeped in. Who could he tell? Who could he risk talking to and trust not to be a spy?

  Chen, obviously. If they had her under control, they wouldn’t need to steal her wolf. She could simply give it to them. The other rangers in Chen’s squad, maybe. Though he could see a rationale in someone sacrificing an ally’s wolf to keep their own safe. It was the downside of the wolfbond’s attachment. The fear of loss made people willing to compromise.

  Or maybe that was just him.

  Anyone else on the constellation, even people with whom he worked like Cignetti or Dr. Bajusz, was suspect. He folded up his glasses, set them on the desk, and pressed the heel of his hands into his eyes.

  There had to be a way to get word to Chen, though. If she had ample warning, Javad had no doubt the ranger and her wolf would be fine. Once she’d been warned, he could figure out how to get to Khonsu and keep his family safe. It would only be a matter of time before the people pressuring him realized that he’d betrayed them.

  He pinched the bridge of his nose. As plans went, it was bad bordering on unworkable. With more time, he could open the problem up and devise a better strategy, but time was the one thing he didn’t have. Without knowing when the attack on Chen might take place, every minute counted. She couldn’t risk exercising Nujalik when they might be waiting for her.

  The thought pulled him up short. He’d made it plain that he wanted to check on the wolf in the field. It was stated in his care notes. A quick trip to the surface wouldn’t be out of place. He could even try to couch it as confirming the wolf’s health for the abductors. Plus he could tell her away from the ship, where he didn’t know who else might be listening. And it put him that much closer to home.

  He still didn’t know where she might be taking her wolf, but the Calypso system was well connected. Any of the moons she visited would likely have a shuttle to Khonsu available. Javad nodded to himself and tucked his glasses in a pocket. It was a slim chance of success, but he could do it. All he needed to do was figure out where Chen would be staying.

  He knew just the place to find someone who might help. Luckily a run always helped to clear his mind.

  Four

  Javad checked the time as he slipped into the Cry’s forward gym. Even after months of shipboard living, it gave him pause to see how many people were in the facility this late into the dark part of the ship’s cycle. With a three-watch rotation, roughly a third of the personnel would be off duty, and it made sense that many of them were looking to get in their TJF-mandated weight-bearing exercise. Rotational gravity could do a lot of things, but it would never be enough to combat the muscle loss and bone density changes that accompanied long stints of shipboard life.

  Fortunately for him, the treadmills tended to be the last choice of most folks in favor of other, fancier
machines.

  He was more surprised to see Akomi Nikao, one of the TJF pilots, already going full tilt on her usual treadmill. She usually came in later, but it looked like she was nearing the end of her run instead of the beginning. As the safety officer for the pilots, and a top notch gossip, if anyone on the ship knew where Chen might be headed, it would be her.

  He stepped onto the machine next to hers and programmed in his workout. After he settled his goggles over his eyes, they paired with the treadmill and counted down from three. The blue-grey walls of the Hunting Cry dissolved into a long stretch of forest path, which rolled past him as the treadmill started him into an easy warm-up pace.

  “It’s an early run for you, Lieutenant,” he said at last. “I thought you came in later.” One of the benefits of being medical personnel was access to the officers’ facilities, even though they were civilians. Akomi had a ready smile and a penchant for bawdy jokes that made her easy to like. Her tendency to run at roughly the same time as him gave them a common ground for friendship.

  “Or maybe you’re out late.” She huffed the words, still running hard. “Working off a guilty pleasure?”

  More like plain old guilt. “Just a busy brain. What’s your excuse?”

  Running was his favorite way to pound his brain and body into submission. When the rhythm was right, everything went on autopilot, and he could put his thoughts in order. Once he had his head clear he could review the plan again—he didn’t have many ideas for how to help his family on ce he’d warned Chen, but he could look for the worst holes.

  She groaned in disgust. “Early flight. I’d rather get the run in now, so I can sleep when I get back.”

  He chuckled, and his treadmill picked up the pace, easing into the actual workout. “You’re not going to send your new roommate instead?” Akomi’s old roommate, Imee, had been transferred after getting engaged to a ranger. Something about avoiding command chain issues or similar. Javad didn’t really get it and hadn’t felt like prying at the time.

  “Oh, she’s going too.” Akomi’s tone implied that she wasn’t excited about the prospect. “It’s a shuttle run, so I’ll need the backup. In the plus column, I can monitor her shuttle checklists on the return flight.” The pilot sounded practically feral with glee.

  Javad didn’t envy the other pilot. Processes and safety workflows dominated piloting, and he knew Akomi advocated for strict adherence to the ones she oversaw. “Poor kid. I’d say not to go too hard on her, but I know you. What dignitary are you stuck chauffeuring around the Systems?”

  “I wish. At least a councilor would be able to hold a conversation. Instead it’s one of the Bravo rangers and her wolf. One of Imee’s fiancé’s friends.”

  “Chen?” The name leapt past his lips before he could stop it, and heat pulsed across his cheeks. Nice going, Doctor. Can you sound more like a fool? He picked up his pace and tried to pass it off as exertion, hoping the pilot wouldn’t notice.

  No such luck. Akomi’s machine beeped as she reduced the pace, and her slow, amused drawl sounded like the proverbial cat caught with the canary. “Really.”

  “I recommended her wolf spend some time in full gravity. That’s all. I’m glad to hear she took me up on the advice.” He played down his anticipation, but even without the run his heart would have been hammering. Learning Chen’s destination would give him an easy first step. He could register his flight as a check-up, head to wherever, and then slip off to protect his family. If the TJF chose to view it a breach of contract, he’d lose his job, but his family was worth it.

  And giving Chen a fighting chance was the right thing to do.

  “Purely professional interest, of course.” From her tone, Akomi wasn’t buying his excuse. “So, I’m not sensing a desire to provide her with an off-schedule physical. Or test out that vaunted ranger stamina.”

  Javad chuckled in spite of himself, his cheeks already blazing. He couldn’t remember if Akomi had VR goggles on when he’d stepped onto the treadmill. Even if she had, his blush probably registered as its own heat signature or something. His laugh sounded more nervous than sincere, but he played it off. “I’m not in the market. And if I were, Chen’s not my type.” The lie hurt to say out loud.

  “Sure,” Akomi replied, layering an ornate combination of scorn and disbelief into the single, drawn-out syllable.

  Her machine powered down, and a moment of panic released adrenaline into his veins. She couldn’t leave until he’d gotten a destination out of her. “How far do you have to fly?” There was a long silence as he continued to run, and he could feel the pilot watching him skeptically. Half a truth was the easiest lie. “It’s not what you think. I’m supposed to head down and assess her wolf in a few days. I just wanted some advanced warning if I was going someplace inhospitable. I don’t suppose you’re flying them to Kanaloa.”

  Akomi scoffed. “Why? Hoping to catch her in a bikini enjoying the surf?” The admittedly delightful image that summoned must have been plain on his face, as she crowed in triumph. “I knew it! Sell your disinterested-doctor act somewhere else.”

  “So that’s a no on Kanaloa, then?” Sun and surf would have been plenty for him, even without the prospect of a bikini.

  “Sorry, Doctor. Headed to Farhope.”

  Interesting. Farhope was ostensibly the capital world for the TriSystems. It hosted the main offices of the intersystem government and the TJF, but its populations tended to be in the cities. You didn’t have to get too far from town for the planet to return to unspoiled wilderness. Plenty of places to exercise a wolf, and the gravity was slightly heavier than starship average. In all, a solid choice.

  “Don’t suppose you could be more specific.”

  Her tone was apologetic. “You know I can’t. Probably said too much as it is.”

  He nodded, though with his goggles on he had no idea if she was looking at him or not. “Fly safe, Ako. I’ll catch you when you come back.”

  “I can catch myself just fine. See you around, Doc.”

  Farhope was a big moon with plenty of inhabited areas. Narrowing down Chen’s location would be a hell of a lot harder than knowing where around Calypso she was orbiting. Getting more specific would take time, and his share of that was burning up like a meteor on a bad entry angle. He thought through the problem as he ran. Talking to command was a risk. If one of them was compromised, then he’d be telegraphing his entire plan to the people threatening his family. Then again, he had more than enough in his notes to paint Chen as a difficult patient, and the requested ground-side physical would be a good excuse. Chen had to register her exact location somewhere; there was no way the squad wouldn’t keep track of her while she was away.

  The risk was worth the reward. He powered down his workout and snagged his omni off the deck of the treadmill. He toweled off his face as he headed toward the locker room. His workout was over, but he couldn’t get his heart rate to slow down.

  ANDILE FINALLY RETURNED his call as Javad walked back from the gym. When her number flashed on his omni, he tapped it immediately, then confirmed he wasn’t set to send or receive video. It would speed up the laggy call somewhat without having to transmit a big video file. The gray screen continued for several minutes, while he walked through the door to his quarters and slid it shut behind him, then overlaid with a picture of his sister. He didn’t recognize the photo—it was recent, and she had her hair piled on top of her head in one hand while she pouted for the camera.

  He shook his head. “Are you sure that’s the most flattering picture for you?”

  It took another three minutes for her response to reach him, but her sigh spoke volumes. “It’s nice to see you too.”

  “I’m just saying. So, how’ve you been?” He made sure the door was locked, then plugged his omni into the dock so he wouldn’t have to hold it.

  “Frustrated by orbital lag, which apparently doesn’t bother you at all.”

  “I barely even notice it,” he lied. He leaned back in his desk chai
r. “Mom said you haven’t talked to them lately.”

  “Fuck.” Her profanity was sharp and quick. “Is this the new tactic? I miss one meal, and they sic you on me for the guilt course?”

  “It’s not like that at all. I called because I’m worried about you. If you aren’t talking to our parents, that’s fine, but you always used to talk to me.” It was a shitty play, and he knew it even as the words left his mouth. He looked at the ceiling tiles in his room, but there wasn’t any inspiration to be found there.

  “You know what? I don’t need a fourth parent.”

  “Don’t hang up!” He slammed forward in the chair, hoping she didn’t terminate the call in the endless wait while the signal routed between moons. “I’m serious. I’m worried about you.”

  Through some miracle, Andile had actually remained on the line, and she responded, albeit slowly. “What aren’t you saying?”

  “I’m not allowed to worry about my sister?” He stood up, pacing around the room to push down some of his nervous energy. He tugged his travel bag out of the narrow closet and tossed it on the bed, then added a change of clothes to it.

  Her tone was wary. “I’m fine. I’m just trying to get through school and mind my own business.”

  It was dismissive and eerily similar to her answer the last time she’d been in real trouble. Then, a combination of bad habits and poor choice of boyfriends had trapped her in an abusive relationship and an addiction problem. He thought back to the photo the blackmailers had sent him. She’d clearly been getting out of a car that had given her a ride. “Of course. But it’s going okay? Your friends aren’t acting weird?”

  “The only one acting strange is you.”

  “Who did you ride to school with today?” He winced as soon as he blurted it out. The people making demands on him were too good at covering their tracks. It wouldn’t be like they were raising a red flag for her.

  “Are you spying on me? What the hell is wrong with you?”