Page 37 of Enthraller

“What’ll you do?” Ed asked.

“I’m working up to a final confrontation. Depending on how things go, either tomorrow or the day after.” She grimaced. “I’ve known Jens for twenty years. It’s going to be a hard conversation.”

He nodded, wondering if she was playing him, trying to take him into her confidence, or whether she was genuinely struggling with the integrity of the project.

“You’re obviously taken, but what about Muscles?” She gave a sudden, naughty grin. “I tried to catch his eye at dinner, but he was all about the food in front of him, sadly.”

“Hatch?” Ed asked on a laugh. “He was walking out on the line. It sucks you dry. Can’t blame a person for needing to refuel.”

“You were out on the line, too, but I saw you had plenty of focus to spare for little Wren.”

“What can I say?” Ed shrugged. “She draws the eye.”

“Your eye, anyway.” Laschka popped another carda in her mouth. Sighed. “I’ll give Hatch another chance tomorrow. Why not?”

She wandered after Banks down the passage.

Ed watched her go, surprised to realize he was as suspicious of her as he was of Banks. He’d warn Hatch to be very careful what he said if he chose to let Laschka catch him.

He looked up and down the passage, but there was no one else lurking around, and he stepped back into the room and walked over to see if Wren needed any help.

Probably not, he decided when he saw the neat line of devices in front of her.

Creepers beware.

15

Bailey had come backin the night, and Wren bumped into her in the canteen.

“Are you walking out on the line today?” She waited to ask until they were leaving the canteen with the plates of breakfast they’d made for themselves, heading for the small lounge in the control room.

Neither were prepared to talk about anything in the communal lounge and dining area. Not after finding listening devices and creepers.

Bailey nodded as she scanned her finger through the control room laslock and stepped inside. “I’ll do three hours, Hatch will do three. It means we’ll both be more alert the rest of the time. There’s no such break for Ed, but at least when he rests, between the two of us, we’ll be rested enough that we can keep an eye.”

Wren could keep an eye, too, but she knew they didn’t see her as dangerous, and she was happy to keep it that way for now. She set down her plate and her cup of jah. “What do you need me to do?” She activated one of the creeper detectors she’d made last night, and set it on a side table.

Bailey glanced over at her, taking a seat on a small couch. “Be ready to consult. We caught numerous freighters sneaking stuff in yesterday, but it was minor infringements, just more of their declared goods than they’d admitted to. We might come across something more juicy today, even if it’s not specifically what we’re up here looking for.”

“After yesterday’s haul, word is probably out that every freighter’s being scanned,” Wren said. She sat down herself, picked up her cup. “If someone has something I’d be interested in, they’ve probably decided to wait this out before they try to come back in.”

Bailey lifted her shoulders. “Maybe, maybe not. I’ve seen people do the damndest things because they just don’t think they’ll get caught. Or they have a deadline or a client they don’t want to disappoint, and they somehow convince themselves they’ve done the work they need to keep it hidden.” She gave a wicked grin. “Besides, they don’t know we’re using the Guan scanner. Lily’s been gone six months already, so they probably think it’s a standard scan.”

“The people we’re trying to catch know, though,” Wren pointed out. “That’s why they tried to kill Ed.”

Bailey frowned. “Good point. It would be interesting to see who suddenly changed their minds about coming into Aponi nearspace, wouldn’t it?”

“Very.”

Bailey leaned behind her, snagged a comms unit from the desk behind her and tapped it. “Guttra, it’s Bailey. Wren’s pointed out the people we’re after will know the current checks are being made with a Guan scanner. So maybe we should ask the military to take an interest in any freighters who’ve had a sudden change of plan about entering Aponi nearspace.”

Wren couldn’t hear the other side of the conversation, but Bailey gave a grunt of satisfaction, and set the unit back down.

“He’s on it.” She bit into her toast with relish.

The door to the control room opened, and Hatch and Ed, each carrying a plate of food, appeared in the doorway.

“Morning.”

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