“He lied.” Hit pushes to her feet, slamming a fist into her palm. “I should’ve killed that scumsucker when I had him by the throat. I can take them out if Vel helps me disable droid security.”

“I could,” the bounty hunter says. “But I am not convinced that is the wisest course. If we execute the crew, we are left with a damaged vessel we may not be able to pilot. Keller said only he possesses the ignition codes, so it stands to reason it would require his permission to override the navigational system as well.”

“That means we continue on course whether we like it or not.” Dina limps over to the kitchen-mate and starts making drinks.

“And when we show up at Jewel’s place with a ship full of dead bodies,” Jael concludes, “he really won’t be in the mood to talk.”

“Mass murder won’t solve our problems this time,” I say. “Huh. Who knew?”

“The jumper’s already dead.” Having dropped that conversational bomb, Hit crosses to the table and helps Dina distribute the cups.

“What do you mean he’s dead?” Remembering my impulsive words, I have a sinking feeling in my stomach.

“Last night, I was scouting the place,” she answers without inflection. “And saw them spacing the body. I cut out before they made me.”

Jael seems to read my expression. “It’s not your fault, Jax. You don’t get a job like Keller’s by being a proper nice guy. He had to show his boss something, prove the failure had been dealt with. Or Jewel might’ve made an example of him. The Syndicate doesn’t make any money off valuing human life.”

“You know an awful lot about them,” Dina says, eyes narrowed. “What do we know about you, anyway?”

His pale eyes shine with a cold light, but he masks it with a smile. “I was a merc in Surge’s company, after March’s time. After I got out, I did a turn as an enforcer, yeah, for the Syndicate. I didn’t much like shaking down old ladies for their pensions, so I stopped.”

Hit raises a brow. “Just like that? You said farewell, and they threw you a little party. Let you walk away?”

At first I’m not sure why they’re tag teaming him so hard. And then it hits me. Dina wants him to be a bad guy because she thinks I’m sleeping with him. I figure she’s already told Hit her side of things. I open my mouth to defend him, but Jael doesn’t need any help.

“No,” he answers quietly. “I had to kill a few people to get the message across. I’ve done things I’m not proud of in the name of survival. But I expect that’s the case for everyone in this room.”

A chill shivers through me at his tone. With the possible exception of Vel, who has more integrity than anyone I’ve ever known, he’s probably right. Silence meets his words, and I think he’s even managed to instill some respect in Dina. She won’t mistake him for just another pretty face again.

Jael smiles. “Can we get back to business, or do you have further questions?”

* * *

CHAPTER 46

l let the silence build for another moment. Until just now, nobody noticed the steel that braces Jael’s pretty exterior.

Then I say, “I think that’s a good idea. We don’t want them to catch us flat-footed.”

“This allows us time to plan,” Vel agrees. “Which is to the good.”

He’s activated the thingie that should jam any snooping devices that might be present. Now he sits beside Jael, hands at his sides. Vel shows a reserve only present in humans who possess some behavioral dysfunction.

“We’re still going to see Jewel,” Hit points out. “I don’t see how we’re any better off.”

“Can we assume they mean you harm, Jax?” Jael asks.

“It stands to reason. They asked me to fuck up my attempts at diplomacy because they don’t want to see interstellar affairs stabilize. Outfits like the Syndicate profit substantially when there’s no central authority to question its activities.”

I wave away the cup Dina tries to hand me, thinking it might be poisoned, or at least doctored to give me the shits for a good seventy-two hours. Then I get up and pace, back and forth from the door all the way to the bathroom and back again. Something’s niggling at me, but I can’t figure out what.

“But Tarn is covering for you,” Jael says after a moment. “He’s turned our blunders into what looks like heroism on the vids. First we liberate Emry Station, and then we venture into the heart of a war zone, bringing aid? I bet that’s how he spun it. If you continue on your goodwill tour as scheduled, the Ithtorians will be properly impressed by the time you arrive.”

Dina forgets she’s mad at us for a moment. “So they need to detain your ass. If you simply disappear, they can leak whatever story they want.”

“You don’t think they’ll just kill us?” The pilot furrows her brow like that doesn’t make sense to her.

I shake my head. “If they wanted me dead, I would be. They caught us off guard in the hangar, and had a clean shot at me before you showed up.”

“I agree,” Vel puts in. “If they stood to benefit from Sirantha’s death, they would have already arranged it. I cannot imagine that they are prone to wasting resources. If your supposition is correct regarding their motivations, they simply need to hold you long enough to ruin your reputation. Once they let you go, you will not be able to adequately account for your failure, and my people will not be disposed toward permitting any further diplomatic overtures.”

“Why is that so important?” Dina wants to know.

“Well, for one thing, there’s a prejudicial element to it,” Jael answers. “They don’t want Bugs passing freely among us because it would become impossible to know ‘whom to trust.’ No offense, Vel.”

The bounty hunter lifts a shoulder in an odd half shrug. “None taken.”

“That can’t be all of it, though.” Hit shakes her head, brow furrowed.

I tend to agree. “If it was just human supremacy rearing its ugly head again, they’d just kill me. And the next ambassador. And the next, until people got the message and stopped taking the job. Groups like the Pure Populist Front don’t operate under the banner of subtlety.”

“Point. So what’s the missing link?” Jael doesn’t seem afraid of what’s in the cup, taking a long sip.

I get tired of pacing and resume my seat on Vel’s other side. He slides me an oblique look, and then says, “The Morgut.”

We all shift, eyeing Vel expectantly.

He goes on without prompting. “I have been researching the increased frequency of Morgut attacks. In the last thirty days, they have targeted twenty remote stations, outposts and/or research facilities. That is a seventy-five percent increase, correlating to one significant event. I posit that Farwan’s fall sent the message that humanity is, at this time, weak and disorganized, thus demarcating you as ideal prey. You also possess the side benefit of being delicious.”

Was that a joke, albeit a dark and twisted one? I grin in appreciation.

“That’s why the Conglomerate is desperate to get the Ithtorians on board. Tarn will do anything to make it happen.” Dina slaps her good knee in realization. “My politics are rusty, but this makes perfect sense.”

“Enlighten the rest of us,” Hit says with a wry smile.

I lean forward as Dina explains, “From what you told me about your encounter with the Morgut on Emry, Vel was the only one they feared. He’s Ithtorian, not human, and that makes him a hunter, not prey. He speaks their language, therefore he’s considered an equal. If the Ithtorians side with humanity in the burgeoning conflict, that will give the Morgut pause, hopefully preventing an escalation to all-out interstellar war, the like of which we haven’t seen since—”

“The Axis Wars,” Jael finishes flatly.

Shit. For a moment I just sit there, numb, and hellaciously impressed by Dina’s insight. She’s damn smart beneath her gruff façade. Then again, I keep forgetting that at one time, she used to be royalty, schooled to see nuances like this.

Vel nods. “I concur with that assessment. As before, however, you fail to address the most crucial question.”

Thinking isn’t my strong suit, so it’s a good thing I’m surrounded by geniuses. “What would that be?”

Jael supplies it. “What does the Syndicate stand to gain by promoting a war between humanity and the Morgut?”

“They sell weapons,” Hit answers at once. “Increased revenues.”

“It was a rhetorical question,” the merc grumbles. “I know that. They also hire out as enforcers, which means they could stand to gain a lot in security contracts. Merchant ships in need of protection, special forces hired to guard remote outposts.”

Dina nods. “The possibilities are limitless. If they play it right, they could step into the void left by the Corp and edge out the Conglomerate entirely.”

“But to achieve that,” Vel continues, “they need to discredit Sirantha, not execute her.”

“So we’ve been kidnapped.”

My mouth tightens. I have no doubt we’d have figured it out sooner or later, but surely this helps. Instead of taking things at face value, we’re going to be looking for a way out from the jump. We’ll find a way; we always do.

“I theorize that Jewel intends to keep Sirantha out of trouble until Tarn has no hope of putting a positive spin on her absence,” Vel adds.

“In other words, the Syndicate thinks I’ll make a fine scapegoat. That sounds familiar. Given my track record, I get to be the worst ambassador ever, possibly rivaling Karl Fitzwilliam.”

I decide to risk Dina’s hospitality after all, but I program my own drink, just in case. Mmm, hot choclaste makes everything better. Even hearing that you’ll be credited with precipitating the worst conflict since the Axis Wars.

“Depends on how badly the war goes with the Morgut, but yes.” Vel finally shifts, steepling his hands together. If he wasn’t wearing the faux skin, I have no doubt he would be clicking away as a sign of deep thought.

Jael pushes to his feet. “We’d better disperse before they come to find out why we’re meeting in secret. I mean, we can assume they know we know something, and they can try to guess what we know, but nobody really knows what anybody else knows, you know?”

“If you do that again, I will kill you.” Hit glares at him. “I’m not kidding.”

Yep, there’s a reason she gets on so well with Dina. Not sure where that relationship is heading, and it’s not my business. But it’s good to see Her Highness smiling again, whatever the reason.

Crap. I just ordered this drink. With a mental shrug, I drain it in one gulp. It’s meant to be sipped, not slurped, but I’ll be damned if I let it go to waste.

Nobody’s surprised when Hit opts to stay, but I let the guys file out first. I pause at the door. “Look, it’s not what you think. He’s just overzealous, that’s all.”