"Yes." He looked away from her, shielding his eye from the blowing smoke, or perhaps from her. "She is, at that."
"I should kill you for what you did."
"Yet you haven't. Why is that, Ms. Novak? Why haven't you killed me? I didn't think mercy was your style."
The thinly veiled jab wasn't lost on her. She knew what atrocities she was accused of. The Night Witch was a murderess, and she wasn't known for leaving survivors behind to tell the tale.
"It's not mercy, Mr. Jones. It's commerce. I've been offered a trade. Your life, Mr. Jones. Your life for my memories."
The news genuinely appeared to surprise him and his demeanor changed dramatically. His eyebrows shot up and his back arched in attention. If this was an act, he was doing a damn fine job.
"An interesting trade," Harry Jones said. "If it can be believed. And
who
, exactly, offered you this trade, if I might ask?"
"Don't you know?" Sigrid watched him carefully—
very
carefully. "I was hoping you could tell me."
"Truth be told, Ms. Novak, I can think of any number of people who might make that offer. There are a great many people who would love to get their hands on me. I'm sure even you can appreciate that."
"Yes, Mr. Jones, I can. I'm sure your enemies are legion."
"Perhaps. But it doesn't matter. You're being
lied
to, Ms. Novak. The only person who can return your memories is dead.
You
killed her. No, I'm sorry, but your memories are gone. No one can bring them back. Not anymore."
Sigrid waited. She took great care as she sifted through the data. Each phrase, each syllable was analyzed and cross-referenced, then measured against his blush response, blood pressure, even the smallest twitch in his pale skin. Jones had fooled her before, but he wasn't fooling her now. It was subtle, barely traceable, but the telltales were there: a micro-spike in his heart rate; a shift in his voice pattern, imperceptible to the human ear, though not to hers. Harry Jones, the master manipulator, had slipped. And he was lying.
"Thank you, Mr. Jones."
"For what?"
"For telling me what I needed to know—that my memories can be returned. I think I'll take that trade, after all. Thank you for finally telling me the truth."
Surprisingly, Harry Jones laughed; it was a rasping, coughing chuckle, full of bitterness and spite.
"The truth? Ms. Novak, all I've ever done is tell you the truth. There was even a time when you came to believe it. We're on the same side, you and I. The corporatocracy cannot be allowed to continue. I know it, and so do you—and I know
you
, Sigrid Novak. You won't stand idly by while billions of innocents suffer. You can't. You're not wired that way. Neither of us are. We were a team, these last six years. Together, we made a difference. We both want the same thing. Justice."
Slowly, she turned away from him to look back to the smoking wreck of Jaffer's rig.
"Perhaps," Sigrid said. "But maybe the difference between us is the price we're willing to pay. Some victories come at too high a cost, and I find nothing
just
in this."
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
The Wounded
Two of the giant Kingfisher
transports descended on the road behind her. Four Thunderhawks
circled in the air above. Suko was the first to leap from the descending troop carrier. She jumped the last three meters before the craft hit the ground. Running straight for Sigrid, she threw her arms around her, holding her for what felt like minutes. Sigrid was in no rush to let her go.
"It's over, Sigrid. It's all over. I love you so much."
Over?
It was over, wasn't it? They had Jones. Emily was dead. The pain and the whispered voices were gone. But for Sigrid, this would never feel like a victory. Jaffer had saved her—twice. First, when he'd plucked her from the road, and now here. She wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him, if not for his kindness and his bravery. And now he was gone. She didn't even realize she was crying until Suko wiped the tears from her eyes.
"Sigrid…I'm so sorry. I-I know what he meant to you."
Still numb, still in a daze, she was only vaguely aware of the squad of Dalair mercenaries approaching. A young corporal approached her and removed her visored combat helmet. She blinked twice at the two unusual girls wrapped together with their arms around each other unself-consciously. "I was told by the magistrate to report to you directly, Lady Novak. Whatever you need, we are to see it done. Where would you like us to start?"
Where indeed? Sigrid shook her head, fighting for focus. She still had a job to do. "Secure the area. And see to the wounded. I think we've had enough death for one night."
"Of course, milady."
"And take him," Sigrid said, glancing over to where Harry Jones lay huddled. "Secure him in one of the transports. I'll need him brought back to the Crossroads."
The corporal snapped her a salute. "I'll see to it personally. And I'll have one of the medics have a look at you as well. Those burns will need tending."
Sigrid looked down at her arm and her hand. The flesh was a dark red, and there were long patches of blistered, blackened flesh where she'd tried to pull Jaffer from the fire. She'd all but forgotten the burn. It wasn't that it didn't hurt, it simply didn't matter.
"I'll be fine. Just see to Jones, Corporal. That's all that matters now."
The corporal took one look at her, then nodded before saluting again. "As you wish, milady."
Sigrid waited until she was out of earshot before turning to Suko. "I'm afraid I'll need your help as well, Suko."
"Anything. Of course."
"Go with them. Watch Jones. Don't let him out of your sight."
"Sigrid, he's not going anywhere. He's finished."
"He's
alive
, Suko. That means he's still dangerous. Take Victoria with you. And, Suko, whatever he says, don't trust him. Not a word. Do you promise me?"
"Yes. Of-of course. I promise."
Suko nodded, but Sigrid held firmly to her arm. "I know you want to kill him, Suko."
"Sigrid, I—"
"I need him alive. He's the key to my memories. Whatever happens, Harry Jones must live."
~ - ~
Sigrid waited until the Kingfisher carrying Suko with her cargo of Harry Jones was aloft. She sent two Thunderhawks to fly escort and they chased swiftly after them. Now all she could do was wait. Wait, and hope that they made it safely back to the Crossroads. Harry Jones hadn't lied to her when he said there were people who wanted him dead. She didn't doubt that any number of them might try to kill him before they returned home.
"They'll make it, Sigrid."
Sigrid turned to find Lady Hitomi standing next to her. Without thinking, she threw her arms around her, sweeping her into a great hug that shocked both of them.
"Hitomi!"
Ever since waking, there were so many things Sigrid wanted to ask her: why she'd abandoned her, why she'd sold her, and of course, why her own troops had tried to kill her. But as Hitomi's arms came around to hold her, none of those questions mattered. The arms that held her weren't the binding arms of a master or matriarch, they weren't there to hold her down or restrain her. It was the loving embrace of a mother—one who had been separated too long from her daughter.
"My Sigrid," Hitomi said. "My sweet Sigrid. I am so sorry."
"No, mistress. You mustn't apologize."
"You might not say that—not if you knew the truth. I have…done things, Sigrid. Things which I am not proud of."
"Whatever you did, I know you had your reasons."
"You are kind to say so, but I'm afraid I am not deserving of your mercy."
"It's not
mercy
, mistress. If I had returned from Bellatrix, none of this would have happened. I failed you. This was all my fault, I—"
"You didn't
fail
, Sigrid!"
Hitomi took a step back. Standing was never easy for her; she'd lost the use of her legs decades ago. Even with the aid of the mechanical braces, standing was always difficult and draining. Yet in that moment, Sigrid thought she had never looked more powerful, alive, and there was a fire burning in her eyes as she held firmly to Sigrid's arms, holding her in place.
"Mistress?"
"You could never fail me, Sigrid. Do you hear me? I should never have let you go to Bellatrix.
I was a fool.
I didn't do enough to prepare you. I didn't warn you of the dangers. And when they captured you, I was the one who failed to bring you back. Worse than that, I gave up hope. I let myself believe the lies. I let them convince me that you were lost—a danger to us all! And when they threatened to destroy New Alcyone, I cowered like a frightened old woman. I sold you, Sigrid. Do you understand?
I—sold—you!
Emily was right. I did abandon you. And I did it for the worst reason of all. I did it to save myself."
Sigrid sensed the waves of bitterness coming from her mistress, the self-loathing and shame. It was a torturous suffering that was far greater than anything she'd had to endure these last five days.
"You're wrong, mistress," Sigrid said after a time. "I know you. You're not capable of cowardice. Whatever you did, you did it to
save
New Alcyone. You did what you had to do—what you always do. You had the courage to survive."
"Courage? Is that what you call it?"
"Yes, mistress. Courage. If I'm ever faced with a similar choice, then I hope I have your courage to do what needs to be done. Courage to save our home, our sisters and our friends."
Hitomi shook her head. "I truly am a fool, aren't I?"
"Please, mistress. Don't say that."
"But I am. To think I could have ever lost faith in you. That is a mistake I swear I will never make again."
Sigrid wrapped her arms back around her, holding her and not wanting to let her go. Hitomi, who was quite a bit taller than her, was left with little choice but to look down at the young girl grasping her in a rock-solid embrace, with her head pressed firmly against her breast.
"You were wrong about something else, you know," Sigrid said.
"Of
that
," Hitomi said, "I have no doubt."
"You never really lost your faith in me. You never gave up hope."
"While I would like to believe that—"
"You wouldn't have come here, mistress, not if you believed I was truly taken. Not if you didn't believe I could be saved."
"Oh?" Hitomi said, with interest. "You don't think perhaps I came here to
do away
with you? There is the matter of your bounty, you know. That's not a sum to be taken lightly."
Sigrid smiled. "You didn't come here for any bounty, mistress. You came because you believed in me. Just as you always have. It was your love that saved me, yours and Suko's. Your love brought me back."
"No, Sigrid." Hitomi leaned back to look at her face. "It was
your
love that brought me here."
Smiling, Sigrid tucked a loose lock of hair behind her ear. "Yes, mistress."
"Oh, and Sigrid?"
"Yes, mistress?"
"You must call me Hitomi. I think we've both had enough of 'mistresses' for one lifetime."
~ - ~
Rising fast, the Kingfisher cleared the last of the peaks surrounding Portillo to descend quickly down the cliffs and into the narrow valley beyond. Harry Jones lay bound to a stretcher on the floor of the craft. The Dalair medic stood watch close by, but only to make sure he didn't die. Neither Suko nor Victoria would allow him to do more.
The young Dalair corporal sat across from her in the jump seat with her combat helmet on her lap.
"You girls aren't much for giving care and comfort, are you?" she said. "The Mercenary Guild doesn't look kindly on those who refuse giving treatment to enemy combatants."
"He's no combatant," Victoria said. "He's a war criminal. He'll get the treatment he deserves. Nothing more."
The corporal shrugged. "I'll have to report you."
Harry Jones snickered, drawing Suko's attention down.
"You find this amusing?"
"As a matter of fact, I do." Harry Jones gave a nod to the corporal. "She doesn't know, does she? You didn't tell her?"
"Tell me what?" the corporal asked.
Suko didn't bother to look at her. She was staring out the small portal next to her, scanning the ground below. "He knows we're not taking him to the Crossroads."
The corporal sat upright. "Now, hold on a second. Lady Novak's orders were clear. We're to take him to the Crossroads."
"Lady Novak," Suko said, "isn't here. I'm afraid there's been a change in plans. We're landing here. Pilot, take us down."
"Down?" the pilot said. "No way! Look, I don't know what's going on, but I ain't getting busted off the flight list for disobeying—"
The pilot shut his mouth as Victoria's large-caliber pistol came up next to his head.
"Down," Victoria commanded. "Now."
The pilot looked helplessly from the gun to Victoria and to the corporal.
The corporal gave a half shrug. "Do what they say. Take us down."
"All right. Okay. I got it. Down. Change of plans. I'm cool."
Not needing any more encouragement, the transport pilot pushed the stick hard down, taking them low. The comm, however, went wild as the escorting Thunderhawks
demanded an explanation for the change. Suko switched the unit off, silencing their calls.
Snow-covered evergreens covered the landscape. The Thunderhawk flew low and fast, low enough to brush the snow from the tallest of the trees. Suko had the pilot maintain his new course as they followed a winding river that snaked along the valley floor. There was a frozen lake bed not far off. She pointed him in that direction.
"There. Land."
The pilot swung out and over the ice-covered lake, circling. He shook his head. "Ice won't hold. We'll break through."
"Then drop down and we'll jump."
"Jump?" Harry Jones said, with a doubtful look to his broken arm. "I'm not exactly sure I'm up for that. Though I don't suppose that matters to you, does it?"