Page 106 of Enthraller

It was not.

“Who are you?” the Caruson asked.

“I’m Vim Handras, Evette Linao’s assistant.” A man walked into the ring of light spilling from the back of the Razor, hands raised to show he was unarmed.

It was the cafe owner she’d followed to the first warehouse.

He looked over at her as he came even with Opek, and she could see his mind spinning. She looked nothing like she had when she’d ordered some jah from him, so he had to be wondering who she was.

Her hand was still on Opek’s arm, and her nanos picked up Opek’s dislike of Vim, his annoyance with having to do Vim’sbidding, and his surprise that he’d come to the hover port, where he could have potentially been caught by Defense or the Protection Unit.

“What’s happening, Opek?” Vim asked.

At last, Wren could focus back on the bag of ore that had been tossed but it was no longer there. One of the Caruso had taken it into the Razor.

We should have realized we had to touch?—

No,Wren said.This was a plan put together in moments. Mistakes will happen. You cannot be all knowing. Let’s rather focus on how to get around it.

“We were discussing why you lied about controlling Demeter.” The Caruson soldier finally dropped the barrel of his massive laz to point downward.

Vim shrugged his shoulders, as if to release tension. He glanced over at her and Opek, looking for clues from them as to what was going on. He cleared his throat. “There have been a few problems. But as long as you keep nearspace free of VSC battleships, we’ll have the time and space we need to win.”

Wren studied Vim, and wondered who he actually was. Not a cafe owner, obviously. That was just a convenient front.

“We don’t like lies.” The Caruson began backing away, and then reached out suddenly, moving faster than it seemed possible for someone of his size, and grabbed Wren by the front of her jacket.

She was lifted up and spun, and found herself held against the Caruson’s chest.

From the sides and from behind, she heard the sudden hum of the massive Caruson weapons powering up.

“You are Evette Linao,” the Caruson told her.

Well.

She glanced at him. “Actually . . .”

“She’s not Evette.” Vim took a step forward, looking shocked. “Evette is . . . unavailable right now.”

“That’s what we were told when we asked to speak with her. But then a woman appears with the ore. In charge. You looked to her when we asked about the lies, as if waiting for her to answer. This is Evette.”

Wren remembered Opek had made a call, and she should have asked herself who to. Should have touched Opek before they got here to find out what had been said.

Clearly Vim had been put in charge in Evette Linao’s absence, and these Caruso had wanted to speak to the boss.

Maybe that’s why Vim had come in person. To smooth things over.

“Let her go.” Ed’s voice came out of the darkness, and he stepped into the ring of light, laz raised.

All the weapons swung his way.

“More proof of your identity,” the Caruson said. “You came with protection.”

She locked gazes with Ed for an instant, wishing she could let him know this turn of events might just suit them very well. Then she looked back over her shoulder. “You need to get moving,” she said to the Caruson. “This isn’t exactly a safe place for you.”

“No.” The Caruso soldier’s voice was short. “But yet you told us to come here.”

“Where else could you have landed? And the ore was stored nearby. If you go now, you’ll get away fine.” Wren kept still in the soldier’s grasp.

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