“Yes, but what?”
She pulled out of Callum’s hold and paced the bridge, trying to get her head around what they could do. On their own, it was a suicide mission, and no way were any more of her crew going down. Could she somehow go in herself—after all, it hardly mattered if she died at this point. Though she didn’t want to die now, she wanted to spend what little time she had left with Callum and with her friends.
“Shit. There has to be a way.”
“Captain?” She swung around as Daisy spoke. “There’s a comm coming through,” she continued. “Do you want me to open the link?”
“Who’s it from?”
“Devlin.”
Crap. She was going to have to tell him his brother was dead. How he would react, she could only imagine. But even as her mind balked at facing him, the thought occurred to her that he could help. He’d want revenge for his brother’s death as much as they did, and the Rebels could provide the perfect distraction. She just hoped they weren’t too far away.
“Put him on,” she told Daisy.
“Devlin,” she said.
“I know about Tris.”
His words took her by surprise. She hadn’t expected them, and for a moment, she was silent.
“I’m sorry, Devlin. He died trying to protect Janey.” She frowned. “But how did you know?”
“The Church—the bastards. He’s been on their most-wanted list since the bombing. They sent out a comm announcing they had caught and executed him. Showed a fucking goddamn picture of his body.”
Tannis glanced up as Skylar entered the bridge. Her face was pale, and she had a pair of Rico’s dark glasses perched on her nose, but she appeared composed.
“They must have identified him after we left,” Skylar said as she came to stand beside her. “They certainly didn’t while we were there, but they wouldn’t let us take his body, and besides we had our hands full with Jon.”
“What happened?” Devlin asked. “How did they get hold of him?”
“They ambushed El Cazador. Rico and Janey are dead as well, and they have Alex.”
“What?” She could hear the shock clear in his voice. “What are you doing about it?”
“We’re going to rescue Alex, and then we’re going to kill the people responsible.”
“Sounds like a good plan. I want in.”
Chapter Twenty-one
Callum had thought she’d hurt him that day she’d poisoned him. But the pain was nothing to what he felt now.
He’d gotten used to being in control. Now he was faced with something he had absolutely no control over, and he was breaking up inside. She was so brave. Her dream had been to live forever, and now she was dying. How could she go on as though nothing had happened? She was discussing the “plan” with Skylar, tossing ideas back and forth. What did it matter to her whether they rescued Alex or not when she wouldn’t be around? And they couldn’t save Alex anyway. This was a suicide mission. They would all die.
They might as well have continued on Trakis Seven and got Tannis the treatment. At least she would have lived. But she’d chosen these people instead over a chance of forever with him.
And now. Now, there was one last remote possibility. So remote that he didn’t even dare talk to her about it. But the longer they put it off the remoter the chance of them succeeding. And they were wasting time.
Anger built up inside him, and he allowed it to rise because it was better than the pain.
“Callum?”
At Tannis’s softly spoken question, he looked up. Everyone was watching him with expressions varying from alarm to understanding. “What?” he snarled.
“Chill out, you’re scaring people. I know you’re hurting—”
“How the hell do you know that?” he growled. “You’re not a fucking mind reader, remember? You gave up the chance of that.”
She bit her lip. “I’m sorry.”
“You seem to be saying that a lot lately.”
Anger flashed in her yellow eyes, the irises narrowing to mere slits of black. She stepped up close to him and poked a finger in his chest. “Yeah, and you know what—it’s true—I am fucking sorry. I’m sorry that Janey and the Trog are dead. I’m sorry the goddamn Church killed Rico because that would have really pissed him off. I’m sorry that they still have Alex, and I’m really sorry that I’m dying.” She poked him again, harder this time, and he winced. “And now, I have to be sorry for you as well, because for once you’re not getting what you want. I bet that really hurts.”