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Erin scoffs. “Your jailor and your fellow slaves? You should thank me.”
Payton pats the Xec case on her hip. “Oh, I will.” She turns away and says to Kez, “What can I do to assist you now?”
“There’s got to be a way to figure out which containers have the Hex in them,” Kez says. I can tell by her distracted tone that she’s wracking her brains for the answer.
“Can I suggest we retire to Operations?” Payton says. “We can compare recent shipments to previous shipments and see if there is some variation.”
“Or we can squeeze this one and B until one of them squeals,” I suggest, giving Erin a shake before setting her on her feet.
“Or that,” Payton agrees.
Mech Tyng takes it as a given that she’s leading us back to Ops. Like I couldn’t find my own way. When she scoots back against the consoles but doesn’t leave after I line Erin up on the floor next to B, I tip my head at her. “Don’t you got somewhere else to be?” I ask.
“Sawhet has a direct uplink to Mother Jo,” Payton says. “She could be useful.”
Mech Tyng offers me a small smile, which I return.
Kez and Payton move to the consoles and begin tapping, trying to figure out what’s different about the thirty million liters upstairs. I trade nods with Acker, who is leaning against the window-wall, looking out over the Hex plant.
“It would be impressive, if I didn’t know the nature of what is produced,” Acker says.
“Yeah. You never tried a taste?”
Acker shakes his head. And something clicks.
“Kez, any of the water headed to the Deeps?” I ask.
Kez lifts her head sharply. “Yes, why?”
“We buy water like everyone else,” Acker offers.
“More than usual?” I ask Kez.
“Wait. Yes. Not a lot, but there’s more T-White than the last shipment.”
“Payton’s daddy said you’d bow to the pressure sooner or later. They pulled out the big guns, even bigger than Exeter’s.” I cast the merc a grin over my shoulder, which he returns without relaxing from his duty stance by the door. “That was for a reason. To make you cave or kill you off before today’s shipment hit the Deeps. You stockpile T-White?”
Acker nods. “Some. For occasions.”
“Best guess,” I say to Kez.
“I’ll take your guesses any day,” Kez says.
“You trust your grocer?” I ask Acker.
“Today, I trust no one,” Acker says. His dark eyes shift to me. “But I might make an exception for you. We usually receive the water delivery mid-afternoon. If you permit me to contact Match, I will instruct him to reject it all. We can argue about the cost later.”
“I’ll take it outta your bonus,” I say. “You got enough to last your people a couple of days?”
“We have a small reserve, assuming it wasn’t destroyed in theattack. I’ll have to ask Match. Can you get a replacement shipment to the Clouds tomorrow? Whatever we have, it is not enough to last until the next normal delivery and buying water from a third-party will be more cost than I can bear right now.”
I glance at Payton who immediately nods. “I’ll have a replacement delivery to the Deeps tomorrow morning.”
“Where will a rejected delivery go?” Kez asks Payton. “I don’t want anyone getting their hands on it.”
“The old Blue Water plant. We use it as a depot. But it’s not secure.”
“Exeter, you want another contract?” Kez asks, turning to look at the merc.
