The Assassin's Salvation (Mandrake Company) (16 page)

“Not unless invited, no. And I don’t think we better try the ruse of wanting to sell her gut specimens. If she is the one who issued the bounty, she’ll know all about Mandrake Company and likely our affiliation with it. She may know we had something to do with Felgard’s death too.” Or Ankari did, at least. Jamie didn’t particularly want to get blamed for that. That whole mess had been above her head, and she hadn’t known what was going on or why they were being imprisoned most of the time. It was only in the last month or so that she had gotten more of a grasp on what the business actually did. Admittedly, maintaining the shuttle and building things were more her passion. “I don’t think we should approach openly at all. I was thinking of disguises.”

Sergei’s brows drifted upward again. “You already have a
plan
?”

“Not a plan. It’s your mission. I just wanted to share some ideas that came to me while I was doing my research.”

“All right. Go on.”

“First off, you should know that I also researched Fergusson’s relationship to her, and they don’t seem to have much of one. She’s actually something of a rival, and it looks like she’s won out in some deals they’ve both gone after. And, of course, he’s still aspiring to the position of finance lord, and she’s already had it for the last five years. In short, I doubt Fergusson sent her a note describing us—or a video of us blathering in his office.”

Sergei grimaced. Yeah, he hadn’t been a fan of seeing that video, either. Jamie was just thankful it hadn’t shown more. Even if she had later described to Ankari some of what had happened —if only to warn her what she might expect if she was ever invited to a spa for an appointment—she hadn’t gone into the lurid details. Certainly no mention of stomach licking.

“Still, we may want to get some of those fake faces and fast-dyes for our hair,” Jamie said. “Just in case she has an eye out for us. Or anyone from the
Albatross
for that matter.”

“We?”

“Well, I assume I’ll be going along.”

“Why?” Sergei gave her a puzzled look, one she tried not to find offensive. Had their last adventure been so horrible that he loathed the idea of going off alone with her again? Granted, it had been uncomfortable, embarrassing, humiliating, and quite a few other words, but… the cringe-causing aspect of it was already fading, at least for Jamie. Maybe his experience had been different.

“Because you’ll need me?” She smiled. It was actually true. The position she had in mind was more suited for her than for him.

“Jamie, I… the last time we went out together… I don’t want to subject you to trouble again. That wasn’t the sort of place I’d ever want to take you, and having you along to watch me kill someone isn’t at the top of the list, either. I appreciate you helping me—you’re very good at research. But I should go alone to his woman’s island. There’s no need for you to put yourself in danger.”

It was a very logical argument, and she wasn’t quite sure why it stung. Nor was she quite sure why she
wanted
to go with him. She was turning into Ankari, volunteering for crazy adventures. But in this case…

“Ah, actually there is a reason. The job openings, they’re for mechanics. Domestic repairs specialists,” she quoted. “In short, people who can fix robots.”

“Job openings?”

“Maybe I jumped ahead.” She patted her side, wanting to pull out her tablet, but she had forgotten she was wearing Sergeant Hazel’s exercise togs, and her computer was inside the shuttle. “Here’s her island.” She poked a dot into the air between them. “The next closest island is called Salt Cloud, and it’s here—” she poked another dot, “—and is mostly government buildings, but has some shops and industry too. I figured the shuttle could park there, make some appointments, whatever Ankari wants, and then we could amble down to the job fair that’ll be going on there this coming weekend. Among the positions on the list are domestic repair specialists for Laframboise’s island. I thought you could strut around, looking tough and scaring off the other applicants, and that we would then, by default, be the ideal candidates for the job. I can assemble a robot, or whatever they have in mind, and you can assist.”

She watched his eyebrows for a reaction. She hadn’t met a lot of men who were into
assisting
women with repairs, but he hadn’t mentioned a mechanical aptitude or background. Maybe he wouldn’t be offended by her presumptions. If he was, he could always mash her face into the mat again.

At the moment, he was rubbing the back of his neck instead of responding. Maybe he thought her plan was too nuts to respond to.

“Once we’re there, you can of course go off to do the maiming and killing on your own,” Jamie said, hoping that would mollify him. “I don’t feel a need to be a part of that. I just want the captain to be safe. For Ankari. And because he’s been decent to me, as well. Despite all the growling and grunting.”

That elicited a faint smile. “He grunts at you? That means he likes you.”

“Oh? I know Ankari gets a whole range of grunts from him that apparently mean different things. The ones he gives to me… I think they mean get out of my way, you’re blocking the door, or get your robot off my foot.”

Sergei’s smiled broadened, and his eyes crinkled. Good. She liked to see him smile. Her first impression of him had been that he needed a friend, and that hadn’t changed much. He always seemed so morose, so glum.

He lowered his hand from his neck. “Listen, Jamie, I do appreciate you thinking up these plans. And I understand that you want to help the captain. I’m just confused by… Do you really want to go somewhere with me? After last time? I feel like I failed you and, uhm…”

“None of that was your fault. I failed myself. I was naive and drugged. I should have realized that and gotten out of there sooner. I have you to thank for taking me out of there, before something I really regretted happened.” It disturbed her now to think that she had found some of that night… arousing. That whole situation should have disgusted her, but she had woken up the last couple of nights after dreaming of being back in that room, with Sergei in his swimming suit, sweat glistening on his hard abdomen as he took the masseur’s place behind her. Her subconscious had a naughty streak.

Sergei grunted. He didn’t sound convinced by her words. And it didn’t sound like any of the three grunts the captain made that she knew how to interpret.

“It could be a good plan,” he said, “though we’d have to get some local IDs made. I would be concerned about going off and leaving Ankari and Lauren on another cloud city. I know they have Hazel, but as much as I want to blast this threat to Mandrake from the sky, I have to remember that Ankari is the mission he gave me. Protecting her has to be the priority.”

“I think Ankari would prioritize protecting the captain, but wait—” Jamie snapped her fingers. “That job fair isn’t until the weekend. The
Albatross
should be back with their cargo by then. Maybe Ankari doesn’t need to be down here at all. She and Lauren can stay on the ship, and we can take the shuttle down to Salt Cloud, so nobody is in danger except for us.”

“That’s… more appealing, but I’d rather you not be in danger, either.”

“I appreciate you adopting all of us as your charges, but I want to help. And I’m the ideal person for this robot-repair job. Besides, there’s something else you should know. About Laframboise.” Jamie hesitated. She hadn’t been certain whether she should mention this, but in the event that it came up during his mission for some reason, he should know.

“What?”

“She’s sixty now, but she originally paid her way through school by serving a tour in the Fleet. As… a counselor.”

His jaw clenched, and his eyes… He looked away quickly, but not before a hint of old pain flashed through them.

“I thought…” Jamie cleared her throat. “Maybe it’s none of my business, but I thought you could use a friend there, just in case things got awkward.”

“A friend,” he murmured, gazing out toward the cloud-filled sky beyond their aerial dock.

Had she presumed too much again? Maybe they hadn’t known each other long enough for him to consider her a friend.

“Yes, one can’t have too many friends,” he said more loudly, then smiled again, though it didn’t come across as sincerely as before. “I certainly don’t have too many.” He rose to his feet without using his hands, then lowered one to her. “Are you rested? Shall we resume your training?”

Jamie groaned, but she did accept his hand. “I thought I’d distracted you enough that you would forget about it.”

“Forget? Of course not. I’m looking forward to the moment when you hurl Striker over your shoulder, then stand on his chest.”

“That would be nice.”

“Do something like that and the rest of the crew will think twice about harassing you. In case I’m not around to be thorny for you.”

Jamie didn’t want to think about him not being around. She hoped he was simply speaking of the hypothetical and that he didn’t have plans to leave. They would take care of the Laframboise woman, remove the threat to the captain, and then nobody would have a reason to doubt his trustworthiness.

Instead of responding, she wriggled her fingers, inviting an attack. He started with one of the grabs they had already gone over, one that she doubtlessly needed to practice ten thousand more times before she would be competent. His hand latched onto her wrist. She twisted her arm, stomping on his foot to loosen his grip, then grabbed his arm as she stepped in, turning her back toward him.

She started to attempt the throw, but he stopped her with a warning of, “Closer. You have to get closer to your enemy for this one.”

Right, she was supposed to stick her butt right into his hip. Without releasing his arm, she scooted back, jammed herself into him, and pulled his arm over her shoulder at the same time as she thrust her butt backward. The last few times she had tried this, she hadn’t had enough momentum, so she pulled and thrust much more quickly. She was rewarded with feeling his feet leave the ground and his body tumbling over her shoulder.

He landed on the map, rolling out of the fall easily, but she grinned, nonetheless. “It worked that time.”

Sergei gave her a military salute, rather than a sensei’s bow. It pleased her even more than her successful throw.

“Jamie,” came Sergeant Hazel’s voice from the shuttle ramp. “Ankari said the store is open now if you want to pick up those replacement parts.”

“Oh, all right.” With her tablet inside, Jamie hadn’t realized what time it was. The workday had started. “Thank you, Sergei.”

As she headed for the ramp, Sergeant Hazel said, “I hope you’re not paying him for those lessons. He’s getting payment enough already.” She was looking at Sergei as she said it, her eyes hard.

“What do you mean?” Jamie asked, not quite understanding Hazel’s continuing antagonism for Sergei. He had been nothing but civil to all of them, and it couldn’t be easy, being the lone man in close quarters with a group of women. Jamie’s father, who had raised three daughters, had said as much any number of times. Maybe Hazel had thought Jamie and Sergei’s supposed plot to double-cross the captain had been in earnest? Ankari hadn’t believed it for a second, but Hazel didn’t know Jamie as well. Hm.

“Never mind,” Hazel said and waved her toward the shuttle.

Jamie walked up the ramp, but paused just inside the hatch. Sergei was folding the mat up to store, and Hazel joined him.

“You better be keeping your hands to yourself,” she told him.

“My hands have been utterly professional,” Sergei said. The mat thumped together hard.

“Uh huh. I saw your missile trying to launch in that video. I don’t know what was going on at that
spa
, but that’s no place for a girl like her.”

Jamie knew she shouldn’t be eavesdropping but couldn’t help herself. Girl like
her
? What did that mean? That Hazel thought her some rural rube who had no idea about the big city life? Or that she was some cute little virgin who had no idea about big city orgies? That… was possibly true. But still. It wasn’t as if Sergei had arranged that meeting. That had been all her own naiveté.

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Sergei sounded like he was trying very hard not to say something snippy. Jamie didn’t blame him.

“Just leave her alone,” Hazel added. “She’s too young for you. And she’s
way
too good for you.”

Jamie’s mouth dropped open. She felt affronted on Sergei’s behalf. It wasn’t as if he had even implied he was interested in her. She was on the verge of turning on her heel and marching down there to say something when Sergei responded.

“Don’t worry. She made it clear she’s not interested.”

Jamie froze, her foot in the air.
She
had made it clear? When had she done that?

“Did she? Good for her.” Hazel sounded delighted.

Jamie didn’t know whether to go out there and say something or to wait and talk to Sergei privately later.

Made it clear? She hadn’t made anything clear, had she? She hadn’t even been thinking about him as anything other than a friend. Except at the spa. And, all right, she hadn’t been thinking of him as a friend when she had woken from those dreams, and maybe even during the day, she had dwelled on that moment when his muscles had surged, and he had shoved the masseur into the water…

But that spa had made her leery in regard to sex-related adventures too. She wasn’t sure how normal all that had been or what normal was exactly. She felt like she was too old to be so naive in such matters, but she had never had many opportunities to experiment—her father had nearly slain poor Jimmy Monroe from down the street when they had kissed on the porch, and she hadn’t wanted to get any other boys in trouble. Now she had the freedom to do what she wished, but she couldn’t imagine doing
what she wished
with any of the big, older men on the ship. They probably wanted the kind of woman who would be comfortable in that orgy, not some shy girl from the backwaters of Mercruse. They were all so loud and aggressive—more intimidating than attractive. Sergei wasn’t like that, but despite Hazel’s words, Jamie didn’t think he had any interest in her. Unless one counted that bizarre coffee date in the hospital cafeteria, he hadn’t asked her to go anywhere or do anything with him. They had worked together a couple of times. That was all.