Page 87 of Enthraller

The two of them had revealed too much. Shown their attachment too clearly.

She would do what they asked of her to save him, and they knew it.

But now, as Fenton blocked Renard and his two men from looking at him, Ed realized it wasn’t strictly true that that was his only value.

And the only other thing he had to offer was the Guan scanner.

Pontia said there was another warehouse, that he’d lied about its location, and then he’d killed himself.

Even though Linao didn’t know of Pontia’s death yet, she would soon enough. And either way, she’d need his scanner to find it.

Which meant she needed him.

“What’s the big secret?” Renard asked Fenton. Ed could just see his head, tilted to the side, as if trying to look around Fenton.

Fenton said nothing, and neither did Navar.

“All right,” Renard said, getting comfortable against the wall. “All you’ve done is make me more interested, but so be it.”

He was baiting them, Ed could see, and enjoying himself while he did it.

Silence fell as they settled down to wait for Linao to return. The rain was still pounding down, making it hard to talk anyway as it drummed against the metal.

As usual, his gaze came to rest on Wren. She was looking out at the silver wall of water, her expression contemplative. She sensed him looking at her and turned, sent him a quick, secret smile. He had the feeling she was about to do something.

Then she stood up, almost panicked, hands scrabbling at her heart. “I feel strange. Like I can’t breathe . . .”

She fell to the ground, choking, and Fenton, Kine and Crach all moved toward her.

Ed instinctively did the same, but Navar gripped his shoulder, and he felt the press of a laz against his shoulder blade.

“What is it?” Renard asked, also crouching beside her as she rolled onto her side, gasping.

“Maybe a side-effect of the laz strike?” Fenton asked, looking back over his shoulder at Navar. “A heart attack?”

“Could be,” Ed said, as he saw Fenton’s palm press against Wren’s forehead.

Fenton rose to his feet, moved back a little and leaned against the wall, his face a little slack.

“What is it?” Kine glanced up at him, and put his own hand against her forehead.

He pulled it back instantly. “She’s burning up.”

He shuffled to make room for Renard, who was looking down at Wren with a suspicious frown. “She has a fever?”

“Feel,” Kine invited, then sat down beside her, the same slightly blank expression on his face as Fenton was wearing.

Renard hesitated. Ed had to give it to him, he was wary, and he was right to be, but he couldn’t work out what the trick was, so he touched the side of her face, grimaced.

“Sheishot. What setting were you using when you hit her?” He glanced over at Navar.

Navar shook his head. “It was medium-range. Enough to render them both unconscious.”

“Maybe too much for her. Especially as she’s been doing some serious walking since you arrived, looking for the wreck.” Renard stood. “Put her on the hover stretcher,” he ordered Crach.

Crach scooped her up, and Ed saw Wren’s hands flop, her fingers making contact with the bare skin of Crach’s wrist.

Ed jumped awkwardly off the stretcher to give Crach access and shot a look at Navar, gesturing with his tied hands to his ankles. After a moment’s hesitation, Navar bent to unshackle him and they both shuffled back as Crach laid her down.

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