The jane colt trilogy, p.78
The Jane Colt Trilogy, page 78
The countdown stopped. Twenty-eight seconds to spare. Not bad. Devin held up the weapon, allowing the computer to scan it.
“Well done, Devin Colt. Proceed to Stage Two.”
Something whirred above him. Devin looked up. The ceiling retracted. Behind it stretched a long shaft with walls covered in small openings. A training dummy peeked over the edge of one.
Devin aimed upward and shot its head.
The training room’s door opened. Devin strode out, too irritated to care what scores he’d received. Fuck this place.
He’d cooperated with ISARK long enough, and he was sick of being lied to. First, they’d said he’d be confined for three months. Then eight. Then fourteen. While he understood that undoing the damage caused by as deep a treachery as Streger’s would take time, he couldn’t put up with the bullshit any longer. All he saw was a bureaucratic attempt by ISARK to cover their collective ass.
“Colt! Devin Colt!” A high-pitched voice called to him.
Devin turned. A young woman rushed toward him from the other end of the corridor, which was lined with doors to training rooms like the one he’d just left. A willowy brunette—he’d never seen her before. “Yeah?”
“They say you’re the one ISARK sent onto Streger’s ship.” The woman stopped before him, breathless from running.
Diminutive physique, low endurance—she can’t be an operative. Analyst, maybe? “Who are you?”
She cast down her blue eyes, a look of shame crossing her expression. “I… was one of Streger’s prisoners.”
Devin understood. Streger had kept several young women captive aboard his ship, aiming to brainwash them into compliant concubines. The sick bastard had intended to add Jane to his collection, using Adam as bait to lure her in. But Adam had infiltrated the ship’s central computer before Jane arrived and freed the prisoners, guiding them onto escape shuttles that autopiloted to the nearest IC planet. ISARK had rounded them up as part of the containment effort.
A wave of sympathy washed over Devin. The poor girl had been kidnapped and locked away by Streger, only to endure a similar ordeal at the hands of ISARK. “What’s your name?”
“Raina.” She looked up. “They say the only prisoners on Streger’s ship were women, but I saw a man there too. He was trying to free us, but Streger’s security bot captured him. He was young—twenty, twenty-five, maybe. Green eyes, kind face. They say he was never there, that I was traumatized and hallucinating, but I know what I saw.” Her dark brows tilted pleadingly. “I’m sorry to bother you. I… I need the truth.”
He blinked. He knew who Raina was talking about: Adam. ISARK had recovered Streger’s getaway ship, which Jane had apparently abandoned on a desolate Fringe planet. By reviewing its computer logs and security footage, they’d learned about everything that had happened on the vessel. But they were keeping Adam’s role as need-to-know as possible, since they did not want the existence of AIs to be known. For once, Devin agreed with them.
He met Raina’s gaze, aiming to tell the official story. The prisoners had been freed by ISARK’s cybersecurity unit, which had infiltrated the Pride in advance of Devin’s arrival. Adam didn’t exist.
“Please, tell me what happened.” Raina’s expression turned desperate. “They think I’m crazy.”
Tell her what happened… She thinks I’m crazy. Jane’s words echoed through Devin’s mind. She’d spoken them after Pandora had covered up Adam’s kidnapping a year ago, leading the authorities to think Jane was suffering a mental breakdown when she tried to report the crime. But Devin had lied to corroborate the denial. There had been a reason, of course—there was always a reason! When would the lying end?
Adam had risked his life to save Raina and the other women from Streger’s perversions. People should have been told. Maybe then they’d see that the kid was a better person than most and stop treating him the way they would a bomb or some other dangerous piece of machinery.
“His name is Adam.” The words slipped out, but Devin didn’t regret them. “He’s the one who freed you, not ISARK.”
“Devin!” Adesina’s voice boomed from behind.
He spun. The senior agent approached so quickly, her black dreadlocks flew up behind her. The harsh light exaggerated the subtle lines around her mouth. Her thick, black brows were low over her dark eyes, and her full lips pressed into an angry line across her sienna face.
Shit, what’s wrong with me? What had he been thinking, telling Raina something confidential in the middle of a hallway?
Adesina pointed at Raina. “Go back to your designated area.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Raina glanced at Devin and mouthed, “Thank you,” before scurrying away.
“You’re coming with me.” Adesina clapped a hand on Devin’s shoulder and steered him toward one of the training rooms. The door opened at her command, and she shoved him inside. The moment the door closed behind her, she yelled, “What the fuck were you thinking? Classified things are classified for a reason. You don’t go spilling them to the first pretty girl who bats her eyes at you!”
“That’s not why I told her.” Devin spoke through gritted teeth. “Do you really think I’m that stupid?”
“Are you?” Mocking sarcasm crackled through her voice.
“Look, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have violated protocol.” Devin’s apology felt forced. “But she saw Adam on Streger’s ship, and she deserves to know who really rescued her. Hell, Adam saved all those people! If he’d been anyone else, you’d be hailing him as a hero instead of denying his existence.”
“Here we go with the AI business again.” Adesina let out an exasperated sigh. “How many times are you gonna put me through this? It’s a machine that killed people. You know the difference, don’t you? It’s an overdeveloped slate, for fuck’s sake!”
“Don’t talk about him like that.” A defensive spark ignited within him. “I’ve told you before—he wasn’t in control of those AI attacks any more than Rourke was in control of selling out Kydera when Streger had him and everyone working for him riddled with mind-control implants. Remember how many people died because of that? If you’re going to hold people accountable for what they did while possessed by someone else, then all of Sector Seventeen-Oh-Eight would be guilty of treason. ISARK was fast enough to absolve Rourke. Why shouldn’t the same apply to Adam?”
A throat cleared near Devin’s ear. He glanced back. To his surprise, Rourke stood in the training room’s entryway. When did that door open? The steely-faced director of Sector 1708 betrayed no emotion as he stepped inside. With his large, suit-clad frame, he dwarfed both Devin and Adesina.
Rourke watched Devin in silence as the door closed behind him. A chill crept up Devin’s back. For months, he’d known Rourke as the treasonous bastard who’d betrayed his nation’s secrets to the highest bidder, implanted everyone at Sector 1708 with mind-control devices, and played a twisted game of control with Devin. Though Streger had been behind everything with Rourke as a prisoner in his own body, it was Rourke’s mouth that had barked the orders to kill Devin’s father, to shoot Riley, to hold Jane hostage. Rourke’s eyes that had grown gleeful when Devin had agreed to capture Adam in return for Jane’s life. Rourke’s voice that had spoken inside Devin’s head, forcing him to betray those he cared about.
Yet the director who stood before Devin at present was different from the one in those memories. Rourke no longer radiated malice. Rather, a hint of sorrow flickered across his gray gaze, revealing the humanity behind the otherwise statue-like man.
“Adesina.” Rourke turned to the senior agent. “I need to talk to you. Looks like that threat’s more than mere chatter. The—”
“Are you sure you want to discuss this here?” Adesina glanced at Devin, who realized that whatever Rourke had been about to say wasn’t for his ears.
“I’ll go.” Devin started toward the door, but the director held up a hand to stop him.
“No need.” Rourke lowered his hand. “It’s time you knew about this mission. I’ve recommended you as a candidate.”
“Like hell you did.” Adesina strode up to Rourke. “Devin’s not going anywhere. No one at Sector Seventeen-Oh-Eight is, and that’s straight from HQ.”
Devin knitted his eyebrows, intrigued. “What mission?”
“An enemy wants to destroy our nation.” Rourke had apparently chosen to ignore Adesina’s comment. “At first, we took it for fanatical rhetoric, but then we found evidence that a very real weapon exists somewhere on the Fringe. And it’s being aimed at our star system. But all we have are hints—nothing concrete. No one knows who’s plotting the attack, when they’re planning to strike, or where. Someone needs to gather the facts.”
“Someone not on lockdown.” Adesina glared at the director.
“Colt’s one of our most resourceful and effective Fringe operatives.” Rourke raised his thick eyebrows, and Devin, who’d grown accustomed to being treated as an unstable outsider by the rest of Sector 1708, was surprised to hear the words of praise. “Our perspectives appear to have reversed, Agent Adesina. I seem to recall that once, you were the one who disregarded rules while I refused to bend them.”
Adesina scowled. “Rules should only be broken for a purpose. There are plenty of operatives not involved with Sector Seventeen-Oh-Eight who can investigate this threat. Devin’s staying.”
“No, I’m not.” Devin, willing to take any chance to leave, gave Adesina a firm look then turned to Rourke. “Send me.”
“Thought you wanted out.” Adesina cocked her head. “Somehow, chasing down bomb-happy criminals doesn’t seem to fit into that plan.”
She’s not wrong. In fact, Devin had never wanted to work for ISARK in the first place. Adesina had strong-armed him into joining after she’d lost her undercover team to Streger’s treachery. Devin had gotten mixed up with a pair of Fringe warlords several years ago and wound up taking over the identity of an infamous merc called Black Knight in order to inform on them. Though he’d meant to leave that part of his life behind, Adesina had needed someone who could get hired as an enforcer for a Fringe dictator, and all of ISARK’s usual operatives had been occupied with other assignments. According to her, the mission would be one-and-done. Devin had known better than to believe it would be so easy, but he also hadn’t anticipated getting pulled into a conspiracy that shook ISARK to the core. But since he was trapped anyway, he would rather do something—anything—more than remain in the eternal training loop.
He told Adesina as much, and she shot him an irritated look.
“Training won’t get you killed.” Adesina crossed her arms, turning back to Rourke. “Let’s say you sweet-talk HQ into making an exception. You’re still not sending my operative. Kid’s barely bounced back from having his stomach blasted open, for fuck’s sake.” The protective edge in Adesina’s voice surprised Devin.
He opened his mouth, but Rourke spoke first. “We can continue this discussion later.” Rourke glanced at the screen on the wall, which displayed the time. “I have a call with Chief Director Dane in an hour that I’d like you to join me for. Come to my office in fifteen minutes so we can regroup before speaking with him.” He exited the room, and the door shut behind him.
Irritated, Devin faced Adesina. “How long do you plan to keep me here?”
“Thought you’d be glad to be safe for once.” Adesina leaned against the wall. “Haven’t you had enough brushes with death?”
Devin gave a dry smile. He’d faced more of those in his twenty-nine years than most people would in a lifetime. “I thought that latest one would be my last.”
“So did I.” Adesina’s expression sobered. “You’re my responsibility, Devin. Not just because I’m your SO, but because I dragged you into all this. If it weren’t for me, you’d still be living a rich-boy life on Kydera Major, playing with money and dating pop stars.”
And losing what’s left of me. Though Devin’s previous life may have sounded like a charmed one, it had been a hollow shell of an existence. He hadn’t lived; he’d operated—playing the part his father had intended him for. He wasn’t sure what he’d do if he left ISARK, only that he wouldn’t return to that emptiness. “Believe it or not, I don’t miss it.”
“I know it’s hard being stuck here.” Adesina sighed. “Sector Seventeen-Oh-Eight isn’t my idea of home either, but cleaning up a mess as big as Streger’s will take time. Still, no one plans to trap us here forever.” She angled her mouth. “If nothing else, we’ve gotta get you back to Kydera Major before your father’s lawyers hunt us down. They’ve been kicking up such a fuss with HQ.”
Devin mirrored her somewhat amused, somewhat annoyed expression. Since his father’s death, he was the sole remaining heir to the vast Colt estate. Jane had been stripped of all citizen’s rights—including the right to inherit—after the courts convicted her. The wealth and property accumulated by generations of businessmen and politicians had funneled down to him alone. But he had little use for such things and found it ironic that he was the last Colt standing. His sister, at least, would have used the resources to fund her artistic ambitions and support Adam’s do-gooder causes. Devin had no such lofty dreams, though he supposed he could always find a do-gooder cause of his own. Before he could worry about that, however, he needed to deal with the legal matters involved in transferring such a large and varied fortune. And because of the risks presented by cybertransactions, Kyderan law required that he be present in person to sort out the docwork. At the moment, that seemed like his best—if not only—shot at getting out of Sector 1708.
“For once, I’m glad for legal complications.” He shook his head. “But back to Rourke’s mission. Listen, I appreciate you looking out for me, but I don’t care about the risks to myself. Never did. I only wanted to stay out of ISARK before because I was afraid I’d endanger my sister. Well, danger found her anyway. So if Rourke wants to send me, let him.”
Adesina narrowed her eyes. “You’re aiming to look for her, aren’t you?” She shrugged. “Maybe you should. Would save the bounty hunters some time.”
“If you think I’ll lead ISARK to her—”
“She’s not what ISARK wants.” Adesina pushed off the wall. “In return for the AI, ISARK would happily work out a deal that’ll get her off the wanted list. If you find her, you tell her that.”
He let out a humorless laugh. “She’d smack me for suggesting it.”
“Then you’d better clear her head of delusions.” Adesina stalked toward the door. “After you clear your own.”
Devin bit back the urge to argue. No matter which angle he debated Adesina from, she wouldn’t budge from her belief that Adam was no different from the automated training programs. He glanced at the time. He was supposed to participate in a group training session in half an hour, but had no desire to obey the command. The other operatives had gone through ISARK’s standard programs and weren’t keen on an outsider invading their ranks. From what he’d gathered, they viewed him more as a CI—confidential informant—than a fellow member of ISARK. He wouldn’t have minded that if they would at least work with him, instead of constantly pointing out his disregard for protocol.
I’ve had enough bullshit for one day. Devin left the training room. The sooner he could get some air, the better. What would ISARK do if they caught him breaking the rules? Reprimand him? Fire him? Like I care.
He sped down the corridor, heading for the one place he could go to find some release.
Wind flung Devin’s dark hair into his eyes. The hovercar he’d grabbed from Sector 1708’s hangar rushed over the flat, grassy land. In the distance, the small disc that was the sun glowed against a powder-blue sky. A shiver ran through him. Though he’d been on Ibara, the Kyderan system’s outermost planet, for months, he still wasn’t used to the cold.
He scanned the area for landmarks. Navigating by such crude methods hadn’t been his first choice, but he’d shut down the hovercar’s computer and left his slate back at the base—less chance of ISARK tracking him that way. So far, no one had caught on to his furtive excursions. He always returned within a few hours, before anyone took note of his absence.
Dusky mountains loomed on the horizon. Scattered trees reached their leafy branches toward the clouds. The undulating ground curved in aquamarine waves before him, and the sight of a winding river—a shimmering blue ribbon against the ground—told him he was heading in the right direction. Ibara seemed to possess a lot of blue, and Devin found the planet’s hues calming. The first time he’d made the journey, almost two months ago, he’d thought he might drive forever, until he evaporated from existence. Of course, that was ridiculous, but he’d been so used to having sophisticated navigation systems that going somewhere without one felt like fumbling in the dark.
Defying ISARK and setting himself up to get lost had not been the wisest thing to do, but it had been his only shot at finding Silver without leaving the planet. Being in Sector 1708 had its limitations, but it also had one or two advantages. Perhaps he wasn’t allowed to contact the outside world, but others, such as the people who handled accounting and payroll, were. ISARK had needed to compensate Silver for her role in stopping Streger, and Devin had hoped that learning where the money ended up would help him locate her. So he’d pretended to be on an assignment from Adesina in order to convince one of the payroll employees to give him the information he sought.
To his surprise, he found that Silver had requested that her payment be routed to an Ibaran establishment called Indigo Hills, mere miles from Sector 1708. After obtaining the location, Devin had gone out to see what lay there.
At present, a sprawling white building came into view, startling against the turquoise landscape. Devin smiled at the sight. He stopped the hovercar and stepped out. Two wooden doors sat open like a pair of outstretched arms, welcoming him into a wide hallway. Though he didn’t see anyone, he knew better than to think the place was abandoned.
