“Are we done here?” he asked.
“Yes,” I said. “I will get the key from the guard. Or I can pick the locks, your choice.”
“No need,” Loch said. He smirked at the councillors as he gripped the shackle around his left wrist with his right hand. His arms flexed and the lock snapped open. He dropped the blood-slicked shackle to the floor. I stared in shock as he snapped the other side open just as easily.
Just how strong was he?
He removed the chains and stood to his full height. He towered over everyone in the room. Blood coated the left side of his chest and arm, but he ignored the wound. “Come after me again,” he said, “and next time Ada will not be there to save you.”
I shivered at the lethal promise in his voice. Lady Rockhurst made a dismissive sound, but she didn’t take her eyes off of him. He was a threat and she knew it. I didn’t undermine that threat by asking if he was okay. I just handed him my spare blaster and stun pistol. Unlike me, he pocketed the stun pistol and pointed the blaster at the councillors.
“Betray us and die,” he said. “You know what I am capable of. All of the RCDF forces in the ’verse can’t stop me before I’ve killed the three of you if you try to fuck us over.”
“A deal is a deal,” Father said stiffly. “The guards have been briefed not to shoot first.”
“For your sake, I hope they follow those orders,” Loch said. “Open the door.”
Lady Rockhurst went back to her seat and swiped an arm across the chip reader. She pressed a series of buttons and the room returned to normal—no shields, no metal panels blocking the door.
Two seconds later, a dozen RCDF soldiers streamed into the room decked out in full combat armor.
Chapter 30
I edged slightly in front of Loch. When he tried to pull me back, I shook my head and flashed the cuff still around my left wrist. It wouldn’t do much against a dozen soldiers, but it might give Loch time to get a shot or two off.
“Lady Rockhurst, Lord von Hasenberg, Lord Yamado, are you well?” one of the soldiers asked. With the full-face helmets it was impossible to determine who spoke, but my money was on the squad leader. He stood in the middle with sergeant’s insignia on his shoulders.
“We are fine,” Lady Rockhurst said coldly, “no thanks to you.”
I winced. The problem with saving my own ass was that inevitably someone else got thrown to the wolves in the process. I just hoped the sergeant would survive Lady Rockhurst’s wrath.
“Escort these two to the nearest spaceport and ensure they leave Earth immediately,” Father said. His face twisted into a superior smirk. “No detours or stops allowed. They are to be on the first ship off-planet, I do not care where it is headed.”
Of course he would prevent me from saying goodbye to my brothers and sisters. I should’ve expected no less from the bastard who raised me. Still, pain and rage flashed through my system. How dare he. My hand tightened on the stun pistol. I wished it was a blaster.
Loch placed a warm palm on my lower back. “Easy, darling,” he murmured. “No matter how much he deserves it, now is not the time.”
“Unless you want the timer to expire, I will be stopping by my ship or my room,” I said.
“You may use the terminals here,” Lady Rockhurst said.
My laugh was not nice. “And have you trace exactly what I access? I think not.”
“She may stop by her room for five minutes,” Father told the sergeant. “Prevent anyone from speaking to her. You are authorized to use nonlethal force as necessary.”
Too angry to speak, I jerked my head toward the door. The squad leader turned as Loch and I approached. The rest of the soldiers fell in around us.
Once we put some distance between us and the High Chamber, I pulled out my com and called Bianca. “I am safe for now,” I said. “We are heading off-planet after a very brief stop by my room. Father forbade me from speaking to anyone in person so you might as well save yourself the trip. Have housekeeping pack up all of my stuff and meet me in Sedition when you can.”
Even on the encrypted line she knew better than to press for details. “Consider it done,” she said. “Your ride contacted me. They are in orbit.”
“Ask them to meet me at the public von Hasenberg spaceport as soon as they are able.”
“Will do. Are you okay?” she asked.
“I am uninjured,” I said.
She took that for the “no” that it was. “Be careful,” she said. “I will see you soon. And I will let the others know.”
I ended the call. After a few more turns down empty corridors, we stepped outside to find a troop transport waiting for us.
The sergeant stopped by the door and offered me a hand up. “After you, Lady Ada,” he said flatly. He wasn’t offering to help because he wanted to but because it was expected.
“Thank you, Sergeant. What’s your name?” I asked. I stepped into the transport, confident Loch had my back if this was some sort of trap. Seats lined the edges of the transport, facing toward the open middle area. I sat across from the door.
“Edwards, my lady,” the sergeant said. He followed me in and sat beside me.
“Well, Sergeant Edwards, I know I’ve put you in an uncomfortable position,” I said. I didn’t apologize because I would do the exact same thing again. “If Lady Rockhurst or the others make your life too miserable, come find me in Sedition and I’ll put you to work.”
“I am responsible for the failed security. I will accept whatever punishment is deemed necessary,” he said stiffly.
“Of course,” I murmured. I couldn’t force him to join me, but I’d at least planted the seed. Perhaps his survival instinct would kick in if things became dire.
Another soldier sat on my left. Loch was the last person to board the transport. He stopped in front of the soldier beside me and glared. “Move,” he said.
The soldier glanced at the sergeant for permission then moved to another seat. Loch dropped into the empty seat with a barely audible grunt. His bloody left side was pressed up against the soldier on his other side so I couldn’t check his wound.
We made the trip to my room in silence. When I opened the door, Sergeant Edwards tried to follow me in. I blocked his entry. “You may wait here,” I said. “I will be out in five minutes as agreed.”
“Lady Ada—” he started.
“Father did not give you permission to breach my personal rooms. Wait here,” I said. I waved Loch in then closed the door in Sergeant Edwards’s face before he could continue arguing.
“Didi, set a timer for four and a half minutes,” I said. A chime confirmed the command.
I pulled Loch into the master bedroom, only to stop short at finding Bianca waiting for us with a first aid kit. “Sit,” she said to Loch, pointing to the chair she’d pulled over. Loch sat.
“How did you know?” I asked.
“I didn’t,” she said, “but I wanted to be prepared.”
“I have four-ish minutes to dump my accounts,” I said. “Unless you need help, I’m going to do that.”
“I’m fine,” Loch said. “Do what you need to do.” Bianca nodded in agreement.
House von Hasenberg was directly linked to the main bank in Serenity, so transferring money would be as instantaneous as if I was at the bank in person. I’d already moved a good deal of my money out of my House accounts, but I had no doubt Father would lock down whatever was left.
I authenticated with the bank then transferred all of the remaining money in my House account into a numbered account. Eventually I would need to make a legitimate named account, but this would work as a temporary solution.