Page 57 of Enthraller

“Almost too easy,” Hatch said, and Ed could hear the nerves in his voice.

He agreed. “Yes.”

“Shooting a freighter is one thing, shooting the obs station is another entirely.” Wren said almost exactly what he had been thinking. “But these people haven’t seemed to be afraid to go big.”

“You think capturing us was just something they gave Banks and his friends to do, to make them think they were useful?” Bailey’s voice was soft with awe.

“If they were freaking out after the freighter was shot, maybe,” Ed said. “It would certainly help keep them quiet and give them no time to consider selling their masters out.”

“Wait a minute. You think they’re going to shoot theobs station?” Hatch held his laz out to his side.

“Any minute.” Ed lifted Trish up, hefted her over his shoulder. “Let’s get everyone off.”

“Why don’t I contact Protection and tell them to back away while you load Banks and Juller into our runner,” Wren said. “We don’t want Violet to put herself and her team in the firing line.”

“What about the scientific team?” Hatch asked.

“They have their own runner. I’ll make sure they know they have to leave.” Wren’s gaze caught his, and she gave a nod. “I’ll be right behind you.”

Ed didn’t like it, but they didn’t have a choice. He really believed they were right. The obs station could come under attack at any moment. He jogged out of the room, holding Trish behind her knees.

Bailey and Hatch followed him, heading for the control room to grab the other two members of the maintenance team.

He was aware of Wren behind him, running to the canteen, and he caught the sound of her urging Lashka and Cora to get their colleagues and go as he turned the corner.

It took the others five minutes to get Banks and Juller into the runner, so all three maintenance workers were laid out in a line.

Banks was awake and aware, and he lifted his head. “What’s happening?”

“We think your friends might have the same plan for the obs station as they did for the freighter.” Ed glanced at him and saw the real fear in his eyes.

Banks didn’t claim there was no way that would happen.

He knew who he was involved with.

“Where’s Wren?” Bailey was sitting at the runner’s controls, and she was fidgeting. “I don’t like that she’s still in the station.”

Ed didn’t either. He took out his comms unit. “I’ll go get her?—”

The words were barely out of his mouth with the whole station shuddered.

“We’re hit.” Bailey touched the panel in front of her and he felt them break free of the coupling.

The runner dropped down, going under the station, Bailey using the only cover they had, although the hit had caused major damage to the orbital, and bits were falling off. She had to dodge around the debris.

“Wren!” Ed shouted her name into his comms unit.

“I’m alright.” The whisper she sent back did not reassure him. “I’m trying to get to the scientific team’s runner?—”

The obs station took another hit, and the comm cut off.

“We’ve lost signal.” Bailey kept moving under the station, headed, Ed was relieved to see, toward the runner coupled to the station on the opposite side to their own.

He would have been forced to take the controls if she hadn’t.

“How are we going to get her out?” Hatch asked, expression tense as he looked out of the narrow window at the debris floating past them.

“Any way we can,” Ed said. “Any way we can.”

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