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"At least you’re being honest this time." I eased up on the deoxygenation, allowing the two of them just enough air to speak without gasping for breath. "Why would you two play me like this?"
"We got approached with an offer from Riven after we helped you break out of jail," Gravix admitted, avoiding eye contact. "He said he’d pay if we eliminated you."
A snarl escaped my lips. "What was holding you back? Couldn’t be loyalty."
Gravix's gaze shifted away, shame evident in his expression. "I'm a thief, not a killer."
I turned my attention to Zorbluk, his silence serving as his defense. "You’re quiet. Is this how you justify your actions?"
Zorbluk’s eyes filled with defiance. "At least we don't pretend to be something we're not. You think it was easy for us when you decided to get out of the business? We didn't get a say. It sure didn’t help when you brought Faye on board."
His words struck a nerve, and for a moment, doubt flickered in my mind. Had my choices truly affected the group in such a negative way? But as I heard the Quareks, still struggling to breathe and stumbling through the corridor, anger fired within me again. "You chose to side with the person who got Lumi killed. Don't try to shift the blame onto me. I may have wanted out, but it doesn't excuse your actions."
The two of them took off running. I followed their fleeing figures, my steps measured and deliberate.
They scrambled to catch up to the Quareks, their gasps for breath accompanying their choked words. I kept a slower pace behind them. As they reached the exit leading outside, Gugerol tore off the grate and was the first to stumble out onto the grass. The others collapsed on the ground, gasping as they fought to breathe in the fresh air.
I climbed out after them. That’s when I saw Riven standing by the wall. The Nurtarian’s yellow eyes locked onto mine, a twisted smirk curling across his grey face. My blood burned as I could feel the weight of his hatred. "Looks like there’s no deliveries for you today."
"Klinn Ustrar." A slow smirk curled on Riven's lips. Sharp, angular ridges adorned his forehead, and his eyes glowed with intensity. "You broke out of jail and came all the way back for more."
"Yeah, and I’m disappointed." Stepping out into the open, I approached him with purpose. The tension between us crackled with its own energy. "Is this how you’re still running things, smuggling through back alleys? Look at this place, Riven. Your game is outdated. Another group is gaining power over your territories with each passing day."
He laughed. "Spoken by one who’s always played small. I don’t worry about the competition."
"Don’t say I didn’t warn you."
"Gravix and Zorbluk proved their incompetence by not getting rid of you." He smashed his fist into his palm. "I’ll show them how it’s done."
With a swift movement, Riven used his ability as a Nurtarian and sprouted claws and spikes along his forearms.
Shit. I grimaced, silently cursing my luck. Not spikes again. I already dealt with Bartie’s canine terror, and now I had to face this son of a bitch.
I braced myself, ready to meet him head-on. Faye and I made it this far to uncover the truth. I wasn’t about to back down now.
I showed Riven I could make a fist, too. "Let’s see what you got."
***
FAYE
Once I could hear theopera music around me getting louder, I picked up speed. I took off my shoes and, holding them in my hand, raced barefoot on the cold hard cement and then up the stairs into the plush, carpeted halls of the first floor of the opera house.
I stuck my shoes on my feet again and circled back to the director’s office. There, I wasted no time using the computer to get online and key in a code to boot up the secret interface for the Wanderstar Fleet.
A bland voice came through on the established connection. "Go ahead with your order number."
I responded using the coded speech reserved for public lines. "Number 312."
A pause. "Coordinates recorded. Expect delivery in eight minutes."
The connection ended. I cleared the information from the computer, wiped the keyboard, and left the room how I found it.
I exited into the hallway to the sound of stringed instruments and the stirring of feet. Was it intermission already? Just as the doors to the auditorium swung open, I jogged down the hall and out of sight of the opera patrons.
Back down to the sublevel I went, my steps faster and more confident, now knowing this goon squad was about to get in handcuffs and the syndicates of Riven and Nexus Spiral would be exposed.
With determined strides, I hurried through the corridors of the opera house. However, as I retraced my steps, an eerie realization washed over me—the air had grown thinner, and an unsettling silence hung in the sublevel.
