Page 58 of Enthraller

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Wren crouchedin a darkened corridor near the canteen, listening for any movement that would signal an attack from members of the academic research team.

She couldn’t go back the way she’d come—the corridor leading to the SF runner and her room was blocked by a large portion of the ceiling, which had fallen when the station had been hit. She didn’t feel safe to go forward, either, as Jens Ludlow had attacked her when she’d gone back to warn Cora and Laschka, and while she’d dealt with him, she didn’t exactly trust the rest of his colleagues.

His attack on her hadn’t shocked Lashka, Wren had noticed as she’d stepped to the side to avoid his fist, but Cora had stared at the head of the academic team with utter horror as he’d thrown his punch.

Wren didn’t need to use force to bring her opponents down, but she had the sense it was more believable as a method if she chopped down on Ludlow’s neck with the blade of her hand than if she touched him with her fingertips.

As he fell, she looked down at him, then back up at the two women. “It seems our suspicions about your project were spot on,” she said to Lashka.

“So the delightful Ed has already intimated.” Lashka grimaced as she stared at her colleague. “This is most annoying and will likely stain my reputation. How can I improve the outcome?”

“What’s going on?” Cora asked, her gaze fixed on her boss.

“All you need to know is that someone is going to try and destroy this obs station with all of us in it. Get your people, drag Ludlow with you, and get off this orbital. Everything else can be worked out later.”

Lashka gave a resigned nod, and grabbed one of Ludlow’s arms. “Take the other one, Cora.”

Wren left them to it, aware she’d been gone longer than she’d planned.

She’d been jogging down the corridor when she was thrown against the wall. The sound of alarms and the smell of burning had engulfed her, and she lay, dazed, until Ed’s shout in her ear piece revived her.

She forced herself to her feet. There was really no choice but to head toward the academic team’s runner, danger of attack or no, and when she could hear no other signs of life, she began to move.

She glanced quickly into the canteen, but it was empty, although she didn’t think Cora and Lashka could have gotten too far, especially if they were still dragging Ludlow.

The air was thick with smoke, and before she could lift her shirt to cover her mouth and nose as a filter, she felt the tickle of her nanos as they covered her lower face. It was suddenly a lot easier to breathe again.

Her boot hit something soft, and she saw it was Ludlow himself, abandoned in the passageway.

Leave him, her nanos told her.

He’ll have useful information, she told them back.

They accepted that, and she grabbed the back of his shirt and kept going, dragging him behind her.

The whole station trembled again under another hit and Wren fell to her knees.

Is the information he has worth your life?the nanos asked her.

Cora appeared out of the smoke, stumbling toward her, blood dripping from a cut across her forehead.

The tickle over her lips told Wren her nanos had sunk back out of sight and she started to cough.

“Wren, I thought you’d already gone.”

Wren shook her head, eyes watering as she straightened up. “No, the way to my runner was blocked. Why are you coming back this way?”

“I got turned around. Lashka is dead. A piece of ceiling fell on her and crushed her.” Tears welled in her eyes and spilled down her cheeks. “I haven’t seen Garner or Kailis, the other two in our group, since this started.” She glanced down at Ludlow. “You’re trying to rescue him?”

“I found him in the corridor, didn’t think I could leave him,” Wren said. “Will you help me drag him to the runner bay on your side?”

Cora gave a nod, and Wren flipped Ludlow over, grabbing one of his hands. Cora held the other and they pulled him along behind them.

Better, her nanos said.Faster.

There was no sign of anyone else anywhere along the route to the runner. When they got there, it was clear there would be no safe exit for them, though.

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