3013: MENDED (11 page)

“Nothing significant. He was angry, but half the men on this station are. Something about someone cheating him.”

“Did you get a name?”

Cami shook her head. “Not unless ‘that slimy bastard’ counts.” She shrugged when Tariq snorted at her. “What? That’s what he said.”

Scooting his chair back from the table, Tariq rose and motioned for her to stand as well. “I think we need to talk to Whitmore again. If Commander Cain is on board the station, he’ll know about it.”

“Hold on, Tariq.” Sion placed a hand on Tariq’s shoulder to stop him. “You can’t just walk in there and accuse a high-ranking official of murder.”

“Actually, I think we should start in the medical bay. Let’s find out for sure if it was really Commander Cain, and then we can talk to General Whitmore.” Besides, her DNA results should be available by now, and it would give her a benign excuse to speak with General Whitmore should they need one.

Walking beside her, Sion grunted, which she took to be agreement. “Tariq, have you cross-referenced the docking reports with inventory scans and fuel logs?”

Tariq opened his mouth as if to respond, but then he pressed his lips together again and said nothing. Cami, on the other hand, nearly vibrated out of her skin with excitement.

“Brilliant!” There was no proof of a ship docking in Bay E, but if it had needed repairs, there could be a record of the parts used. Furthermore, if the same thing had happened in the past, maybe they could find a pattern. “You two start on that while I check out medical. I’ll ask Scarlett to go with me,” she added when Tariq started to protest.

“I don’t like it.” However, he changed directions to walk her to Scarlett’s gypsy stand. “You will go straight to medical and then right back to our quarters. Agreed?”

Though she rolled her eyes when he wasn’t looking, Cami accepted the conditions. “Yes. Tariq, it’s going to be fine. I’ll be back before you know it.”

Ignoring her, he pointed a finger at Scarlett. “You will keep her safe.”

“Sure.” Scarlett rose from her ugly chair and turned a curious gaze on Cami. “What trouble are you in now, little bird?”

“None…yet.” She couldn’t make any promises about the future, though. “Want to help me find some?”

Laughing at Tariq’s exasperated sigh, Scarlett shooed him away with a wiggle of her fingers. “Nice kitty. Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of her. Now, go away.”

“Half an hour,” he warned. “If you’re not back to the quarters by then, I’m going to come looking for you.”

“What the hell was that all about?” Scarlett asked when Tariq stormed off with Sion falling into step beside him.

“One of the dock workers said she saw Commander Cain in the med bay.”

“But, he’s not supposed to be back until next week.”

Cami nodded. “That’s what we thought, too, which is why me and you are going to go snooping around medical and see what we can find.”

“What about the shifters? What are they up to?”

As they wound through the vendor stands on their way to the lifts, Cami filled Scarlett in on everything they’d learned, as well as Sion’s theory about the altered reports.

“I’m guessing we have a cover story,” Scarlett commented as she pressed the button on the lift for the upper level. “Or are we just going to stroll into medical and demand to know if they’ve seen Commander Cain?”

“I’m going to see if my DNA results are back yet so I can prove I’m really Camille Brighton and that I didn’t die.”

“I can’t believe your dad really had you declared dead. Have you talked to him? Maybe there’s an explanation.”

Not one that Cami would accept. She understood mistakes happened, but her gut told her this was more than a clerical error. Though morbid, it made sense and explained why she’d been hidden away for so long. Despite her family’s wealth and status, her father hadn’t employed a living household staff since the accident.

“I haven’t talked to him,” she answered as the lift doors opened. “I know I’ll have to eventually. For now, he doesn’t know where I am, and I’d like to keep it that way.”

“That’s your business, and I’m certainly in no position to judge.” Turning down a narrow, dank corridor, she nodded to the heavy door on her left. “Here we are.”

“This place is seriously sad.” The red painted cross on the front of the door had faded over time, making it almost indistinguishable from the patches of rust. “Why doesn’t the Alliance get this place some upgrades?” Cami wrinkled her nose at the puddle of water forming on the floor from the condensation dripping off the pipes overhead. “I’m pretty sure they could afford a bucket for that at the very least.”

“The Alpha Stations receive most of the funding, but it’s not so bad.” Scarlett didn’t glance at the med tech who greeted them, but she did extend her middle finger at him. “We may not get upgrades, but the Alliance doesn’t interfere with much of the everyday stuff here, either.”

Cami giggled into her hand at the disgruntled expression on the tech’s face. “I see why you and Tariq get along. You’re both so friendly and receptive.”

“Bite it, Cami.” She grumbled a few more insults under her breath that Cami couldn’t hear. “Let’s just get your results and get out of here. This place makes my skin crawl.”

“Miss Brighton.” A different tech approached her with a cautious grin. “Are you here for your test results?”

“Actually, I am. Are they ready?”

“Yes.” He held his arm to show her his wrist unit. “I’ve already had the results transferred to General Whitmore.”

“Thank you.” Cami searched his mind while she spoke, but couldn’t find anything about Commander Cain. “What’s the verdict? Am I really Camille Brighton?”

The tech laughed. “Your DNA tests returned a positive match to the records in our system. You are definitely Camille Brighton.”

“That’s great news. I’m sure Commander Cain probably wants to see me, so I should be going.”

“No, no, I had the results sent to General Whitmore. Commander Cain is still away and won’t return until next week.”

“Right, of course.”

“Does she know? She can’t know. Commander Cain was very clear that no one can know he’s on the station. No, it was probably just a misunderstanding.”

Cami offered the tech a neutral, mildly pleasant expression, one she’d perfected during meetings with her father. “My mistake. Thank you again.”

“Did you get anything?” Scarlett asked when they were back in the hallway.

“Oh, yeah.” A broad, triumphant smile stretched her lips. “He’s here, and he doesn’t want anyone to know it.”

“What do you plan to do now?”

“I plan to find Commander Cain.”

Whether he was involved with the disappearance of those girls or the murder of the electrical engineer, he knew something. Cami could feel it, and she planned to find out just what and how much he was hiding. Hopefully, Tariq and Sion had discovered a connection in their reports, because even if she was right, she’d need more than speculation to present to the Alliance.

Lost in thought, Cami didn’t remember riding the lift to the residential level, nor did she realize they’d arrived at her quarters. She vaguely registered the hiss of the door as it slid open, but it wasn’t until Tariq lifted her off her feet that she finally came back to reality.

Winding her arms around his neck, she pulled him in for a quick kiss. “Hey.”

“Hey,” he echoed. “You’re late.”

“I am not.” She knew because if she had been even a minute late, he would have made good on his promise to come find her. “So, I have good news.”

“What would that be?” Tariq placed her back on the floor, but kept a hand on her hip as he urged her toward the sofa.

“My DNA results are back, and I’m definitely not dead. So…yay!” She waved her hands in the air and fluttered her fingers in mock celebration. “I also learned that Commander Cain is indeed aboard the station, and he’s going to great lengths to keep that a secret. What about you? Anything in the reports?”

Sion looked up from the clear, illuminated tablet he had propped up on the kitchen counter. “If I had a proper computer to work with, it might go faster. It’s only been twenty minutes, though.”

“So nothing?” Scarlett asked.

“A little faith, please.”

“We have bigger problems, angel.” Tariq eased onto the sofa, pulling her down with him. “I have to confess that I already knew about your DNA results. We saw General Whitmore on the way here, and…”

“What?” A hard knot formed in her stomach, and Cami wiped her sweaty palms against her jean-clad thighs. “What happened?”

“Cami, he contacted your father.” Tariq’s covered her hands with his and squeezed. “I’m sorry, angel. He’s already on his way here.”

Sion and Scarlett came and went, and Naira had dropped by once, but for the following three days, Tariq refused to leave his quarters. Upon hearing the news that her family was already on their way to Station 4, Cami had panicked, opening the floodgates to a barrage of unspoken voices. The pain it caused her had been nearly unbearable to witness, and it had killed Tariq to realize he could do nothing for her.

After a full twenty-four hours of watching her huddle on the sofa clutching her head, he’d finally been forced to sedate her. Then he’d spent the next two days, lying beside her in bed or taking care of her during the few times she’d been awake. However, those moments of lucidness never lasted long before the pain return, and he’d had to give her the sleeping mist again.

So when Cami opened her eyes on the third night, Tariq met her gaze with no small amount of trepidation. “How are you feeling, angel?”

“Better,” she croaked. “I think the voices have stopped.” Rolling onto her side to face him, she rested her hand on his cheek and smiled. “Thank you for taking such good care of me.”

“Are you hungry? You should eat something.” The dark circles under her eyes made her normally fair skin look pale, almost sickly, and he still worried about her health. “Maybe I should take you to medical.”

“You’re sweet, but really, I’m okay.” Throwing the blankets back, she sat up on the side of the bed and pushed her tousled hair out of her face. “I need a shower.”

“Let me help you.”

Cami laughed and batted his hand away when he reached for her. “Tariq, seriously, I’m okay. I can bathe myself.”

“Then tell me what I can do.” He needed to do something, anything.

“You can find us something to eat while I shower. Then you can tell me what I’ve missed since I’ve been sleeping.”

He didn’t like it, but when Cami gathered her clothes and slipped into the bathroom, locking the door behind her, he didn’t really have a choice. Crawling out of bed, he changed into a soft, gray T-shirt and a faded pair of jeans, then pulled on his boots before exiting the room.

The intercom buzzed before he could even reach the kitchen, and Tariq changed directions with a grunt to answer the door. “Someone better be dying,” he said into the intercom.

“It’s Sion.”

He’d talked some with his old friend during the past few days while Cami slept, and they’d reminisced about their childhood on Helix. Sion still refused to say why he’d sought Tariq out on Station 4, but he’d committed himself to helping find the murderer aboard the station. The previous morning, he’d also surprised the hell out Tariq by making a blood oath to protect Cami.

Blood oaths weren’t made lightly, not when breaking one carried a death sentence. Tariq still didn’t know Sion’s motivations for showing up unannounced after all of this time, but he did trust his old friend to protect Cami with his life. For now, it was enough.

“You look awful,” Sion said in place of a greeting when the apartment door slid open. “Have you slept at all?”

“Mmm?” Tariq rubbed his tired eyes with a quiet groan. “Yeah, I slept a little.” Not much, but he’d wanted to be there for Cami if she awoke and needed anything. “What are you doing?”

“It took a lot longer than I anticipated, but I think I’ve found something.” He beckoned Tariq to follow him into the kitchen where he propped the tablet up on the counter and flicked his finger over the surface. “These are the instances I’ve found where there have been parts logged for a ship that doesn’t exist.” He scrolled to the next document. “These are the refueling records, specifically inconsistencies where more fuel has been recorded than there were ships docked for that bay.”

Tariq read the information over Sion’s shoulder, impressed with his investigative skills. “Good work, but how does that help us?”

“Alone, it doesn’t, but after when confirmed that Commander Cain is hiding somewhere on the ship, I went back and checked his flight records.” Sion brought up yet another file and passed the tablet to Tariq. “The missing fuel, the extra parts, the disappearing vessels? They all coincide with times the commander was off-station for the past four years.”

“We have to show this to the Alliance.”

“Who are you going to tell?” Sion questioned. “This General Whitmore? How do you know he’s not involved?”

Damn it.
As much as he wanted to keep Cami out of it, she was the only one who could find answers. The more they learned, the less Tariq knew who to trust, and that posed a serious problem for all of them.

“Why do you care?” Sion, always the diplomat. “This is the Alliance’s problem, not yours.” Pushing away from the low counter, he turn and held his hands up, as though he knew Tariq wouldn’t like what he had to say next. “Come home. Bring the female if you must, but forget about all this bullshit and come home.”

With more willpower than he thought himself capable of, Tariq fisted his hands at his sides instead of driving them right into Sion’s face. “You better than anyone should know why I can’t go home.”

“But you can, Tariq. That’s why I’m here, why I came to find you. Things are different now.”

“They told me I turned on you, that I killed you. I’ve lived with that guilt for nine fucking years, and then I find out you’ve been alive this whole time.” The growl he’d been fighting back rumbled up from his chest. “Tell me what’s so different now.”

“I’m trying to tell you, if you’ll just listen. The Alliance has been questioning everyone about the
xili
. D’Aire came to Helix, Tariq, and they scanned every member of our tribe.” Sion took a step closer while his amber eyes narrowed with a fierce intensity. “Everyone knows the truth now.”

“And what exactly is the truth?”

“Your mother knows you were drugged. The whole tribe knows you were manipulated into attacking me.” He lowered his voice and looked Tariq in the eyes. “I always knew, but no one would listen.”

“Everyone knew,” Tariq spat. “They didn’t listen because they didn’t want to.” His muscles twitched and his body vibrated as he fought to hold back his fury. “It was easier to blame the half-breed, right? To think I’d lost my mind because of envy and hatred.”

“Listen to me, damn it! Greecian and Malik have faced punishment for their crimes.” The amber of his irises darkened to a rich brandy. “They didn’t know anything about the black market trades, so the Alliance turned them over to the tribe for punishment. Your mother sentenced them to death.”

“That’s supposed to make it okay?” Some wounds time couldn’t heal. “I’m not going back.”

“Tariq, you don’t belong here. Come home with me,” Sion pushed. “Your mother wants you to come home.”

Cold, dark laughter rolled off Tariq’s lips. “And yet, here you stand. If she’s so eager to have me home, why didn’t she come here herself?”

“Analia is our leader,” Sion stated, as if that explained everything.

In some ways, Tariq supposed it did, but it also didn’t change anything. “I’m sorry you wasted a trip, because I’m not going back with you.” He’d spent nearly a decade trying to escape his past, and he had no intentions of returning to that life. “For what it’s worth, I’m glad you’re not dead.”

“Be reasonable. You can’t really want to stay here.” Sion stepped toward him, but stopped when Tariq growled again. “Yes, I’m alive, okay? I’m alive, and I’ve been fighting for you since I was healed. No one would listen, no one would believe me. I tried to find you—”

“How
did
you find me?”

“The Alliance. Once the D’Aire found the truth about what happened during The Hunt, your mother asked them to locate you.”

Sion said all the right things and even managed to sound sincere, but Tariq’s gut told him something wasn’t right. “You’re hiding something. What aren’t you telling me?”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“Your mother ordered him to bring you home.” The scent of lavender and rain preceded Cami as she glided across the room to stand at Tariq’s side. “If he returns without you, he’ll be punished.”

Sion glared at her. “You really need to learn when to keep your fucking mouth shut.”

In one lunging stride, Tariq had Sion by the neck, grinding his face into the countertop. “Apologize.”

“Tariq.” Cami spoke his name in a soft, calming voice. “Let him go.”

“No.” Sion didn’t struggle against his hold, but he turned his eyes up to Cami. “He’s right, and I apologize.”

Tariq looked to Cami as well. “Is that sufficient?”

“Yes. I’m feeling extremely avenged.”

Satisfied, Tariq released his grip on Sion’s neck and returned to his angel’s side to hold her in a much gentler embrace. “How are you feeling? Is your head okay? Do you need anything?”

“I’m in control now,” she answered simply. “I want to know more about what happened on Helix, though.”

Rubbing the back of his neck, Sion kept his distance and maintained a respectful tone when he spoke. “I’m sorry I misled you, but your companion is correct. I was order to either bring you home or not return at all.”

“Do you want to go back?” Cami asked. Sion didn’t answer right away, but with Cami, he didn’t have to speak his thoughts aloud. “Then don’t go back. You can have a different life.”

“I have a life,” Sion argued, “a good life.”

“But you want more,” Tariq deduced. “We always talked about leaving, exploring the universe. We can still do that.”

Cami linked her fingers together and rocked back on her heels. “At least think about it.”

A tense silence fell over the room, and when Sion did speak, it wasn’t what Tariq had expected to hear. “You should eat something,” he told Cami. “I’ll go get some food.” Without another word, he strode to the door, pressed the button below the intercom, and exited the room.

“Don’t worry, he’ll be back.” Rounding the sofa, Cami flopped down on the cushions and patted the seat next to her. “We need to talk.”

“You want to know what happened during The Hunt and how I ended up here.”

Tariq had been anticipating the conversation, and he’d known he couldn’t hide the truth from her forever. A lot of painful memories had been resurrected along with Sion, and he needed to purge them before they darkened his heart again. That didn’t mean it would be easy to confess the things he’d done, though.

“You don’t have to, but yes, I’d like to hear about it, if you’ll tell me. I know you, Tariq, and whatever happened, I know it wasn’t your fault.” She sat very still with her feet tucked under her, looking up at him like he’d hung every star in the universe. “You can trust me.”

He did trust her, more than he’d ever trusted anyone, and he wanted her to know his secrets. “How much do you know about The Hunt?”

“I’ve read about it.”

The tribes held The Hunt four times a year when both of Helix’s moons turned full and shone brightest in the sky. During The Hunt, the tribe sent those who had recently turned twenty out into the jungle to survive on their own for a week with nothing more than the clothes on their backs. The ones who returned were celebrated as warriors and received a shallow cut over their hearts. Helios wore the thin scar as a badge of honor—a mark of pride.

Tariq had never made it to the ceremony, though.

“I was always bigger and stronger than the other males in the tribe. Since I can’t shift, I had to be.”

“So, you’re only half Helios?”

“My father was human, an elite, or so I’ve heard.” Tariq paced as he spoke, trying to work off some of his nervous energy. “My peers, they called me a freak, an abomination.”

“Your tribe sounds delightful.” Cami’s caustic tone made him smile. “Are all Helios like that?”

“No, and now that I’m older, I don’t think it really had anything to do with me being half human.” They’d been jealous of his abilities and had simply been looking for a reason to hate him. His parentage had given them that reason.

“Something happened during The Hunt, didn’t it? They did something to you.”

“It was the third night in the jungle. I don’t remember much, though. I was collecting water from the river when I felt a pinch in my neck.” Tariq still remembered the sting of the dart as it pierced his skin, and he rubbed absently at the small hallow just below his ear. “The dart was laced with the extract of a plant on my home planet called
xili
.”

“You were thinking about it last night.” Cami nodded. “It’s used to plant suggestions, alter memories, and it forces the shift in Helios. I remember. Is that what happened to Sion?”

“I don’t remember anything after the dart, but yes. That’s what they told me when they had me in shackles.” He’d been lucid by then, and as his accusers listed the charges against him, he’d been sickened by his actions. “There were five of us during this particular Hunt—me, Sion, another male, and two females. The other male said I became outraged, envious because I couldn’t shift.”

“But you couldn’t remember,” Cami pressed, giving him a gentle nudge to continue his story. “They told you Sion died?”

“Yes.” Tariq gripped the back of the sofa with both hands and hung his head. “It’s a crime punishable by death on my planet, but since my mother is the tribal leader, she showed me mercy, banishing me instead.”