Authors: Gun Brooke
“I don’t have long,
henshes
. I’ve managed to scramble the audio surveillance for a while. You were right. They’re going to use me to turn as many Gantharians against the SC and the resistance as they can. Not to mention the Onotharian population here. I…I can’t go through with it.” Her voice was unsteady, but Andreia still sounded fairly collected. “I just don’t know how I’ll get away. It’s as if they suspect me of something, or, I don’t know, they think I can be sacrificed for the Onotharian cause. I’m under constant surveillance.” The last words gushed out, and Roshan thought she could detect a trace of panic.
“Andreia. Listen to me. Breathe. What are they going to make you do?”
Andreia told Roshan about her parents’ plan and the impact it might have on everyone involved. “No matter how you look at it, it’s going to hurt the resistance by tarnishing its noble attitude. If I’m on display as having been tortured and raped, that good reputation will crumble, and we’ll lose the support of many of the nations in the SC.”
Roshan pressed her palms against the wall behind her and leaned her head back.
Damn! I should never have let her go back there.
Andreia hadn’t exaggerated. She was beyond famous all over the planet, a household name, and everything the Onotharians would like to portray themselves as: kind, fair, smart, and, not to mention, stunningly beautiful. If they made it look as if a resistance cell had kidnapped and violated her, no matter how unbelievable most people would think the allegation was, it would indeed dishonor their cause.
And Andreia, forever victimized in the eyes of everyone.
“Andreia, love, we have to stop this. Are you at headquarters?”
“Yes, I’m waiting for the surgeon that’ll perform the ‘makeover.’ I’m not sure how long that’ll be. Perhaps a couple of hours from now.”
“Didn’t anyone see you enter the building unscathed?”
“If they did, they didn’t recognize me, the way I looked. And even if they had recognized me, they wouldn’t dare object.”
Roshan clenched her hand. She didn’t know what made her tremble, the cool evening air or the adrenalin that rushed through her veins. She formed a plan, daring and unorthodox, and her mind raced as she tried to figure out the pros and cons almost instantly. “Are you willing to step away from it all, Andreia?”
“You mean, tell my parents I won’t do it and just walk out the door? I don’t think I have a choice. They’d probably sedate me, have the surgeon do his job, and present me to the people of Gantharat while I was unconscious.”
“But, if you could walk away, would you? I mean, forever? It’s important for you to tell me the truth.”
“Yes. In a heartbeat.”
“Then I’ll put things into motion. If we’re going to succeed, I have to act fast. I’ll contact you as soon as I know something. All right?” Roshan waited for Andreia to respond, but all she heard was someone breathing deeply, as if trying to stay calm. “Andreia?”
“Yes, Ro. I hear you. Yes.”
“Good. Now, let me know if they speed things up. Let’s hope they don’t.”
“Yes, let’s do that.”
“Andreia. It’ll be all right.” Roshan wasn’t sure she’d be able to pull off her idea, but knew she’d die trying.
“Ro. I…” Andreia sounded as if she was choking.
“I know. I know, love. I’ll be in touch later.”
“Okay. Until then. Boyoda out.”
Roshan followed Andreia’s example and took a few deep breaths of the evening air before she returned to the communications room. She stopped just inside the door and watched Jubinor, Jacelon, and the Protector where they stood over by the communicator system, discussing transports.
The Protector looked up and saw her, her eyes immediately narrowing. “Paladin, what’s wrong?”
“Something’s happened. We need to assassinate Andreia M’Aldovar, then pin the blame on the Onotharians.”
*
“What the hell are you talking about? An assassination?” Rae was obviously deeply disturbed by Paladin’s matter-of-fact statement.
“Before I get back to that, bear with me.” Paladin looked seriously at them as everyone took a seat except Kellen, who was restless and remained on her feet. “I have something to tell you that can go no further. I trust you all to keep this secret.”
“Of course,” Rae said. “Go ahead.”
“We have a serious situation that entails the resistance leader, Boyoda, and also O’Daybo.”
Kellen suddenly understood and wondered how she’d missed it before. “Boyoda—O’Daybo. It’s an anagram. She’s the same person, isn’t she? O’Daybo is Boyoda.”
Rae and Doc stared at her, then back at Paladin.
“Yes. You’re right. O’Daybo is Boyoda, but it’s more complicated than you think. We told you that O’Daybo is a hybrid of Onotharian and Gantharian. That isn’t true. She’s an Onotharian.”
“What?” Kellen rose, angry. “Are you telling me Boyoda is an enemy double agent?”
Paladin held her hands up with her palms outward. “No. She’s not. O’Daybo was born and raised on this planet and considers herself a Gantharian in every respect other than genetic. She loves this world and its people, and her own race’s atrocities infuriate and sicken her.”
“And now she’s in trouble?”
“Yes. Major trouble.” Paladin took a deep breath. “This is going to be as big a surprise to you it was to me, almost. Boyoda, whom you know as O’Daybo, is one of the most famous people on this planet, Andreia M’Aldovar.”
“Oh, my God!” Rae sighed. “She’s even famous throughout the SC, and highly admired.”
“She’s also one of them! Andreia M’Aldovar is right in the middle of the Onotharian power structure,” Kellen growled. “And she’s the sister of the man who nearly killed you, Rae.” Kellen’s heart thundered as she pictured the disdainful, mocking man, Trax M’Aldovar, who had stood next to a fallen Rae, one boot firmly planted on her stomach as he triumphantly laughed and called her a coward. She also remembered, with grim satisfaction, how she’d snapped his neck with her Gan’thet rods. Kellen didn’t regret taking his life.
“I understand.” Rae walked over to Kellen and touched her arm. “But she’s not him. She’s the woman who’s led the resistance for so many years. I’ve read that Boyoda is so mythic that some people question if it’s really a living, breathing person. And to think we worked with her for days without realizing it! O’Daybo and Owena pulled off something amazing on Vaksses. No wonder O’Daybo knew so much about both prisons.”
Doc spoke up for the first time. “And how is Boyoda in trouble, exactly?”
As Paladin continued to describe Andreia’s current situation, the worry and anger were evident in her voice, and she blinked repeatedly, perhaps to avoid shedding the tears that had formed in the corners of her eyes.
“So, tell me if I understand this correctly,” Rae said. “They intend to put their world-famous daughter on display, as a fake victim of renegade rebels, and accuse said rebels of molesting her? Are they insane?”
Paladin shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine.”
Rae let go of Kellen and sat down again, legs crossed at the ankles. “And what did you mean about an assassination?”
“Just what I said,” Paladin said, her voice detached and her face austere in the harsh light. “Andreia M’Aldovar must die.”
Andreia sat at her office desk, two guards by her door. Her mother claimed they were for her protection, but Andreia knew this was a blatant lie. She was a captive, nothing else, and soon they’d force her to run a gauntlet for the good of the Onotharian occupation. Andreia had even tried to figure out if she could take the guards by surprise and run toward the ventilation shaft she’d used once before, but she knew it wouldn’t work with this many people in the building.
Everyone was working around the clock to mitigate, and track, the results of the raid of the asteroid prisons. Le’Tinia had sounded so pleased when she poked her head in and let Andreia know that they’d pinpointed two rebel camps. Andreia found it almost impossible to hide her despair for the people involved, and her mother’s glee really disturbed her.
“
Henshes
, here’s the surgeon now.” Le’Tinia walked in, and a man with dark hair followed. “He’s going to alter you, then wrap your wounds. We’ll slowly remove the bandages during our broadcast so your disfigurement will be much more dramatic, with a greater impact.” She turned to the surgeon. “Dr. M’Ouvos, was it?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“And you know exactly what we want you to do?”
“Yes, my instructions are very detailed and clear.”
“Very well. I’ll leave you to it, then.” Le’Tinia made a production of kissing Andreia on top of her head. “Now, don’t worry. The procedure’s fully reversible.”
“I know, Mother.”
The door closed behind Le’Tinia, and the doctor approached Andreia. To her surprise he didn’t start right away, but glanced surreptitiously around the room. Approaching her quickly, he raised his hand to her.
Andreia blinked in surprise until she saw there were something written on his palm.
Is the room under surveillance? Audio? Visual?
She glanced quickly up at him. “Doc?”
“Shh. We don’t have much time,” Doc mouthed as he was gathering his instruments from his bag. “Act dismayed.”
*
Kellen moved along the main communication center where a large crowd stood waiting to watch the charade that the M’Aldovars had initiated. A lump of molten lava still burned in the pit of Kellen’s stomach when she thought of Paladin’s revelation. Their plan had many unknown variables, but she was going to do her part and more, if it meant reaching their objective.
The crowd began to cheer, and Kellen moved into position not far from where the five hovercraft had set down. The doors opened on the third one, and a distinguished man emerged, followed by an elegant woman. As they received both appreciative and negative shouts from the crowd, Kellen realized they must be Andreia’s parents. They carried themselves as if they owned the world, which they did, in a way.
Kellen knew from Doc’s whispered communication earlier, through their individual earpieces, that he and Andreia were in the second hovercraft. The door was still closed, and she saw Paladin casually approach it from the left. She had located herself where she could easily pull the driver out. Kellen eased closer, in case Paladin needed help.
Somewhere in the crowd, Owena hid, armed and outfitted with the latest technology. She had taken the assignment with her usual serene expression, and her only condition for going above and beyond was that they let Leanne in on it. Paladin had objected at first, not wanting too many people to know, but relented when she realized she had no choice. Kellen and Rae knew Leanne’s capabilities, and Rae suggested the pilot be part of Owena’s escape plan after she’d committed the deed.
Onotharian guards lined the open plaza in front of the communication central, and the “assassination team” mingled with the crowd. Obviously the M’Aldovars were more interested in reaching as many people as possible than keeping onlookers at bay. They apparently wanted the public to get as good a view of Andreia as possible and thus be properly outraged.
Their mistake, our gain.
The doors of the first, fourth, and fifth hovercraft opened, and guards exited them. One opened the door to the second vehicle, and Doc stepped out and extended a hand into the hovercraft. A slender, pale hand, partially bandaged, took his, and a female figure slowly emerged, clinging to Doc as if he were a lifeline. Kellen had to concede it was good acting, and the crowd murmured in sympathy.
They walked a few steps from the hovercraft, Doc with his arm around Andreia’s waist. When they reached the first of twelve steps, a disturbance to the left in the crowd stole everyone’s attention from Andreia.
A woman, of obvious Onotharian descent, pushed forward, shoving screaming people away with her raised weapon. “Get the fuck out of my way!” she roared, and Kellen had to admire the perfect Onotharian accent. Completely unrecognizable, Owena began firing at the convoy of hovercraft.
“Our cue,” Kellen muttered, and adjusted her body to move with the now-boiling mob, intent on getting Paladin into the hovercraft, no matter the cost. A man pushed Kellen to the side and found himself in an arm lock. “Move!” Kellen shoved him out of her way. She reached the hovercraft and saw Paladin pull out one guard, who was large, nearly twice her size. The crowd surrounded them now as everyone wanted to see what was going on, despite the danger. Kellen chalked it up to humanoid curiosity as she pressed forward, grabbed the other guard by the collar of his jacket, and yanked him out.
“She’s hit! Oh, Gods, she’s been hit! Get her out of here!”
“It’s bad! Look at all that blood. She won’t make it. Get her to the hospital! Get her out!”
Frantic voices came from the other side of the vehicles, and Paladin kicked the guard’s legs out of the driver’s seat. “Why don’t you get in here? You’ll get trampled with these fools stampeding this way,” Paladin yelled to Kellen over the noise of the roaring mass of people. “Come on!”
Kellen hesitated for only a fraction of a second before she jumped in.
All right. Plan C.
She gazed at the driver lying on the ground outside, barely visible among the forest of legs around him. A short twinge of regret, a hope that he wouldn’t be killed by the people around him, shot through her as she slammed the door. Annoyed at this sudden softness, she climbed across Paladin’s knees to sit in the other seat. Kellen hadn’t heard Doc return Andreia to the hovercraft, and she gazed out the windows in their direction.