Page 88 of Mongrels United
“He’s a very good manager,” Nash said. His tone was neutral.
No, he didn’t like Derrickson at all, Grady interpreted.
Nash shook his head. “Forget about the Dreamhawks,” he said firmly, and picked up her hand. “I have.” He raised their joined hands. “Will this do as a public first date?” His gaze was steady. “I’m sorry it took me so long,” he added softly.
Grady put the fingers of her other hand to her mouth to stop herself from doing somethingveryunprofessional, conscious of everyone around them trying to pretend they weren’t eavesdropping. She nodded instead, her eyes prickling hard.
* * * * *
Despite the more-than-capacity crowd screaming and stomping their feet, encouraging the Mongrels on, the game started badly for them. The Dreamhawks scored two goals within the first ten minutes.
That just made the Mongrels fans even more determined. They screamed and shouted and waved their arms, chanted and sang, so that the arena rang like a bell. The level of noise, which Grady had never heard before, seemed to resonate through the arena, bouncing off the tank walls, and washing back over the audience.
It was infectious. She could feel the giddiness building in her, as if she’d had one drink too many, and then another one after that. She kept pressing her lips together to stop from shouting and gesturing with every referee decision against the Mongrels, just as everyone else was.
Then the Mongrels scored a goal a minute before the end of the first period and most of the arena surged to their feet to cheer and Grady was one of them. The volume of sound was deafening.
During the intermission, she sipped some of Nash’s coffee and tried to tamp down the bubbling joy sitting in her chest and making her feel like dancing. She gazed at the faces of the people in the seats around her and at either end of the tank and thought she could see an echo of what she was feeling in their faces, too. Everyone was happy and animated andsoenthusiastic about the game.
Even Nash was wearing a small smile, his eyes dancing.
The Mongrels started the second period with a roar. They had found an extra dollop of energy from somewhere, and for five minutes they were all over the Dreamhawks, outplaying them with a flashy determination…and they scored a second goal.
The game was even.
“Just one more!” Grady shouted at the tank.
Nash laughed and picked up her hand once more.
The game settled down. The Dreamhawks clearly didn’t like the Mongrels evening the score. The balance of the second period was a struggle between the two teams, each trying to find an advantage against the other.
“Now it’s going to get interesting,” Nash said, when the second period ended.
“Because the suspense is not making me feel sick already,” Grady replied.
Nash lifted his chin again, pointing with it. “Look,” he said softly.
Grady looked up at the Captains’ and owners’ boxes. The owners’ box was filled with people, some of them wearing Civil Guard division uniforms. Everyone was on their feet, screaming at the Guards, who steadily pushed between them. They were aiming for the front row, Grady realized.
Nathan Derrickson was also on his feet, while Camilla Lippi gripped the back of her chair, looking confused and frightened. Grady suspected those were two emotions Lippi seldom experienced.
Three Guards squeezed between the owners and managers and stepped into the front row, two of them on one side of Derrickson, one on the other. The lone Guard was the sergeant of one of Jack’s squads. He said something to Derrickson, who answered, his face working with…anger? Fear? Grady wasn’t sure.
The two other Guards stepped up and each grabbed one of Derrickson’s arms and tugged him out of the row.
“And there, look,” Nash murmured, tapping Grady’s hand to get her attention. He pointed to the heavy zone of the tank.
Through the tank wall, on the other side, where the arena management sat to watch games, Grady could see more Guards arresting someone at the back of the box.
“Jack broke them,” she whispered. “The people from the lab have talked.”
“Now she’s rounding up anyone they gave up,” Nash said in agreement.
“The Guards will be spreading across the ship,” Grady guessed.
“Not that they’ll have to spread too far. Everyone’s either here in the arena, or out in the Aventine.” Nash looked at her. “It worked, Grady.”
Grady drew in a slow, deep breath. “There’s still lots to do until we can call this finished, but this is the beginning of the end.”
