Brander, arms folded across his chest and fighting to stay awake, sat with Faelan and Captain Ryalla in the makeshift command center set in the large tech room where the markweza and Hoyt butted heads. Nearby, Tamor leaned on a table, head bowed, eyes cupped in his hands.
Lapis glanced at the thief. “I’m glad you’re back. I take it you didn’t snag the markweza?”
Brander half-laughed. “He met a group on horseback to the north, in a field with those red flowers that bloom right before the first snows. There weren’t enough mounts, so half his people walked after the mounted ones, and got left behind. I told the Minq, and they might catch them using one of Adrastos’s vehicles.” He sighed and rubbed his chest. “The tack had the seal of the Riyl Carth Stables, and the noble house caparison was red and sky blue with a bird on it. I’m pretty certain it’s the Mayventhel family.”
The Riyl Carth Stables housed several wealthy court nobles’ steeds, and sat on a vast swath of land in the Reeds, on the Avrada River. The area was a beautiful spread of green grasses, orchards, and gardens, all for the pleasure of rich people who did not appreciate the design. Lapis and Patch passed on occasion, when rebel business took them northeast, and she marveled at the sights of fenced fields, horses galloping, with fancy mansions littering the mountainous background.
It hardly surprised her, that the markweza knew a noble or two with access to the stables, and wondered what favor he turned it, for them to come and collect him.
Patch stiffened, his eye hardening into steel blue at the mention of his previous surname. She squeezed his hand; he narrowed his glare, then he pressed his lips to her hair. Good.
Faelan sighed and sank back, though he kept his sharp gaze on Patch, as if mentally telling him to calm down. “That’s . . . unwelcome news. Did you get any info?”
Unwelcome? Lapis thought that a severe understatement. Brander shrugged.
“The markweza wasn’t quiet during his escape, so they were easy to follow, and when he saw some Swifts skimming the trees, he flipped. I didn’t catch a lot of conversation because most of it was in Meergeven, but he spoke Lyddisian with the noble’s people. He told them Bov Caardinva stole his transport and his Swifts, and he went into great detail about their cost and maintenance. He made it clear that the merc had released the battle khentauree, and they needed to round them up before moving to the new site. He also claimed rogue scientists escaped with ‘it’.”
“ ’It?’” Jhor entered the tent with Sanna, a patched bag in hand. He set it on a chair and took out a square, shiny black device that he carted over to Tamor. “I’m assuming he’s referring to the research.” He touched the man’s back. “I’m going to have a look at your eyes.” The Minq raised his head, looking queasy, as he took the attached wand and pointed it at the white orbs. Thin screen windows flashed and green numbers appeared above knobs.
“We can look through the notebooks and the books,” Sanna said. “Then it will not take time and we can find what ‘it’ is.”
Lapis smiled as Jhor pursed his lips, raised his eyebrows, and lowered his eyelids.
“While handy to have a computerized brain, it will still take time,” he muttered. “And guesswork.”
“Hopefully we can find something,” Captain Ryalla said. “The battle khentauree might be an issue, even with Ghost, Sanna and Chiddle’s assistance. Having a better understanding of their modified code will help.” She tapped her fingertips along the surface of the table. “A few of the scientists we’ve captured are pretty chatty, because they think if they cooperate, we’re going to send them home. To Meergevenis. How they think we’re going to manage that is amusing.” She sucked on her lower lip. “They’re afraid, and the two they look to as leaders, Dagaavis and Velensaans, are missing.”
“Dagaavis was with the markweza,” Lapis said. “He was trying to convince Hoyt to go after Caardinva and get back their research.”
The snickers in response to that proved the Jiy underground did not underestimate the cowardly nature of Hoyt and his undershanks.
Ryalla raised a finger to recapture attention. “Two captives said, Caardinva forced Velensaans out of the lab at gunpoint before his men opened fire.”
“So he’s probably dead,” Faelan sighed.
“Maybe,” the captain said thoughtfully. “But I bet Caardinva thought him important enough to stuff in one of those Swifts.”
Jhor shook his head and half-laughed at an inner reflection. “Velensaans is loyal to Eldekaarsen to a fault. I never understood why, but he’d never go willingly with Caardinva. Still, he was the lead on this research. Even if I think Dagaavis knew more about the minutiae, Velensaans wasn’t an ignorant bystander.”
“They also said someone called Fraze started bragging about being involved with Caardinva and ran away just before the Tridents arrived and shot up this place,” Ryalla said.
“Fraze?” Jhor frowned. “He worked on Ghost, but he wasn’t a lead. I had the impression Velensaans almost didn’t hire him, but a last-minute backout let him in. Most of the scientists considered him a second-tier research aide, and he resented the insult. It doesn’t surprise me he hooked up with Caardinva to get back at Velensaans for it. He also had access to all the code because he did the grunt work of fixing bugs, and I doubt anyone paid him much attention if they caught him messing around. They’d just assume he was doing his job. I’m betting he was on one of those escape Swifts.”
Faelan studied Patch, then Dagby. “And what of Hoyt?”
Dagby glanced at her partner, then tossed the badge on the table. Faelan picked it up with a wince. “Hoyt led us to a room with a stream in it. They stopped for a quick chat, but it was hard to hear over the water. I don’t think they knew that giant was there until it roared. Shanks got away, and we got to face Gredy’s people. Khentauree drove them away, too, and the Minq gave chase.”
“The Minq want them both, badly,” Captain Ryalla said.
Faelan nodded absently and pointed at the badge. “That’s the scientist Cassa said led a team looking for the missing terrons, if I remember right.”
“Yeah,” Dagby agreed. “I think whoever got too nosy concernin’ the markweza’s research got a quick trip to the incinerator, includin’ hunters, fishers, and scientists.” He paused, his hands clenching. “There was a doll,” he hissed, abrupt rage engulfing him. Lapis wanted to step back, like a timid mouse faced with the overwhelming presence of a hungry cat. Patch smacked his chest, knocking him from his fury.
“We’ll bring them to justice,” he promised.
The ex-chaser sucked in a ragged breath, then looked at the table. “You’re stuck with me, ‘til it happens.”
“There are worse things, than helping a hunter chase murderers,” Faelan said quietly. “Whoever they were, we will avenge them.”
Dagby nodded and looked at the tent opening. “I need to tell Cassa,” he murmured. “She had some hope, he’d still be alive.”
“There are showers in the scientist’s quarters,” Captain Ryalla said. “Maybe stop by? Then you and Patch can give a full report.”
He sniffed at his arm and winced. “That place smelled like the Pit,” he grumbled as he left.
Patch also rose. “There isn’t much to tell, really. It can wait for a shower.” He withdrew a packet of papers from between his shirt and his chest; blood coated the exterior, still fresh. He flumped it on the table. “That’s all in Meergeven, but we took it off those Tridents.” He glanced at Lapis, and her stomach fell before he squelched a grin. “Dig me up some clothes?”
“And wake juice?” she asked, sarcastic.
“Please with berries and a kiss.”
Patch understood her, far too well.
