Page 45 of Enthraller

They both looked a little wild-eyed.

“Then what’s it to you that there’s a back up? It’s not your cargo on the line. And I don’t know about you, but to me this is a significant bonami haul.” Violet Fann tilted her head. “Or have you seen bigger?”

“I’ve never found bonami before,” the second C&E officer said, stiffly . “I don’t know what’s a big haul and what isn’t.”

“Maybe we need someone a little more senior here.” Violet walked away, dismissing the C&E officers with a flick of her hair, talking urgently into her comms set.

“If that’s all, I think we’ll be off.” Ed glanced over at Wren, and she sent him a quick, bright smile in acknowledgement of their double play.

He grinned back, stepping aside to let her go ahead of him.

Captain Masin had already been hauled off, and when they emerged from the secret passageway, Violet Fann and two of her team were standing near the door.

The crew had been sent back to quarters until they could all be questioned, and Ed guessed that was where the rest of Violet’s team were, gathering statements.

He gave a nod to her as he and Wren passed her, heading for Hatch who was up ahead, talking to another Protection Unit officer.

“Ed, wait.” Violet held up a hand, and Ed slowed, letting Wren go ahead of him.

Violet spoke for a few more moments into her comms set and then strode toward him. “You off?”

“Seems there’s a back up,” he said.

She gave a low chuckle. “Apparently. But seriously, backed up or not, are you going to scan every ship out there? There’s over a hundred, last I looked.”

Ed nodded. “You heard about any trying to leave?”

She nodded. “Got word this morning that the military is rounding them up. That was your suggestion, was it?”

“It was Wren’s, but yes, it came from us.”

“Five ships have so far broken out of the line and tried to leave. The military have boarded each one and done a thorough search, but looking over at the set-up here, I don’t think they’d have found this. Neither would anyone in the Protection Unit. I’m thinking maybe we need to liaise and get the military to bring them close to the obs station where you can scan them more thoroughly.”

“Fine with me.” More hours out on the line, but if the freighters were trying to run, they may be exactly the ships he should be scanning.

“Is that Wren?” Violet asked, looking down the passage to where Wren had stopped beside Hatch.

“Yes. Our new artifacts consultant.”

“Ah.” Violet nodded. “You’re looking for something specific in these scans. I wondered.”

Ed didn’t answer, but his silence was answer enough.

“You could tell us what you’re looking for. We could help,” Violet said.

Ed lifted his shoulders, to convey that wasn’t up to him, and she gave a grunt of understanding.

It was what it was.

And Protection wasn’t immune to corruption, either. Whoever they were dealing with had been exercising their influence since at least Wren’s capture on Ytla.

Keeping it to a small group was best, even if the knock-on effect was some delays to the freighter industry.

18

Wren had never seena battle cruiser before today.

She’d been in one, when she’d been taken off Ytla, but she’d been in the med bay the whole time, recovering from her ordeal.

---