Chapter 46: Chapter 19.1

Vicki and I sat in the room with a small meal spread out between us when Kai and Nick returned. Relief crossed Nick’s face with a small smile as he walked over and wrapped me in a hug. “Oh remind me to thank my sister the next time I see her,” he said.

“Lieutenant Prat?” I asked.

He nodded and released me. “You have loyal friends,” he said.

“Which one came to you guys?”

“The woman with the big breasts,” Nick said.

“Carly,” I said. A smile crossed my lips, if only she knew what she had just implicated herself in. “Then how did you guys know I would be at the Pit?”

“We really didn’t, that’s why it took so long,” Vicki said. “We do apologize.”

I shook my head. “I’m just happy to be out. Otto was running it. Vicki, my accident, is there something I don’t know about it? Is there something I could know about it?”

Vicki looked down and sighed. “I always suspected he had something to do with it,” Vicki muttered. “The way he treated it, he tried to wave away the medics I called for.”

“Then why did you blame yourself?”

“Because I should have noticed it when I checked your gear,” she said. “He did it because he knew. He knew about us.”

“What, what do you have over him?” I asked.

“Nothing you need to worry yourself with,” Kai said. “Vicki, we need to move now, the intel is only good for a few days.”

She nodded. “We don’t need Tawny for this right? I mean, we just got her back and we can’t ask her to throw the gear on and come with us again.”

Something flashed in Kai’s face, anger is what I could call it. “Unless you can hack through the doors, yes we need Tawny,” he said.

I could see the tension in Vicki’s face and looked between the two of them. Vicki’s fists clenched and she looked ready to punch Kai. “What do you have against her? Is it because she’s active military?”

“You’re out of line, Victoria,” Kai said. “I’m in charge of this cell. You know the rules.”

“She’s not going to be a martyr for you!” Vicki shouted. “I won’t let her.”

It was over before I could process it, Nick caught Vicki as the sound of skin smacking skin filled the air. Her hand went to her cheek as she stared at Kai, anger in her eyes.

“Nick, Victoria and I need to have a conversation,” Kai said. “Take Tawny outside.”

Nick appeared reluctant as he released Vicki and offered his hand down to me. “Come on, Tawny, this is only going to get worse if we stay.”

I took his hand and Vicki nodded to me. I walked out of the room with Nick and the door closed behind me. I looked at Nick and he shook his head. “Don’t even think about trying to get back in there,” he said.

“Why is he like this?” I asked.

“Kai is putting up with you, but he thinks you’re more work that you’re worth,” he said. “He really didn’t even want to bring you into this, but...well, we needed a hacker and the camp couldn’t send one. So, Vicki suggested you and I admit I was skeptical. You were two years out of practice and still active in the military. She didn’t tell us that you had bionics or your preferences. Even so, Kai was vehemently against you. I don’t know how she managed to track you down, but Kai doesn’t trust you.”

“Then why is he taking it out on Vicki?”

“Because the leadership is forcing him to put up with you. He’s not happy with it and Vicki is drawing attention to you. He didn’t even want to rescue you from the Pit, you barely know anything so he was willing to let you go. You aren’t much a risk to the camp, since you really have no idea where it is and we can vanish into thin air if need be. Escape routes already in place for months. But he’s not usually like this, he’s never been violent about it.”

I frowned and looked at my feet. “So, my being here is why he just hit Vicki?”

“Not exactly,” Nick said. “They’ve always butted heads, Vicki’s just been able to keep it from you. I don’t think he’s ever hit her before. Whatever is happening must be big. I apologize for not telling you what we were doing in subsector fourteen, Kai told me that I couldn’t.”

“So, what Kai says is law?”

“Pretty much,” Nick said. “However this next one won’t be exceptionally high risk. You won’t be in much danger.”

“Nick, I’m in danger standing in this hallway, it’s a perpetual state for us,” I said. “What are we doing?”

He was silent for a moment, looking down at his feet.

“Please, Nick, I don’t want to be in the dark this time,” I said.

He sighed. “It’s a supply run, we’re stealing armor from the maintenance bay you were stationed at,” he said.