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Chapter 23

  Theo first thought that Erika was pulling a prank. It wasn’t a prank in good taste, and it was very out of character, but it must be a prank. The seconds ticked by, and Erika didn’t relax.

  Her eyes darted over everyone in search of an ally. She looked like a mouse who’d stepped into a house full of cats.

  “Uh, Erika? Everything’s okay,” Petra said.

  “We need to…” Erika glanced back to the ladder.

  Petra stepped forward, and put her hands on Erika’s shoulders.

  “Deep breaths,” Petra said.

  The elevator doors slid open.

  Captain Ryder stepped onto the bridge, face twisted in rage. He had a slate gray pistol in his right hand. Theo took a step back. Everyone else did the same.

  Ryder used this clear path to the console. He paused for a moment, then turned to face the crowd. He’d relaxed himself, but the rage bubbled under his skin.

  “Good to see everyone in one place,” Ryder said. “Erika is the spy. We’ve got an airlock just through those doors. So, get to it.”

  “What!?” Petra shouted.

  Theo looked at Erika, and tried to imagine her as a murderer. The image didn’t fit well.

  Clive took a step toward Erika.

  “Way out of line.” Petra put herself in front of Erika.

  “Yeah, seriously.” Aymeric stepped between Clive and Erika. “Why the hell is she the killer?”

  Ryder snorted.

  Clive continued his advance. Ryder shook his head, and Clive stopped.

  “Has anyone else noticed how Erika has risen to leadership lately?” Ryder asked. “Isn’t it a little too convenient that she would slither so easily into Luther’s position?”

  “I never wanted to be the lead investigator,” Erika said.

  Ryder rolled his eyes.

  “But that wasn’t enough power, so she got rid of Naoki, too,” Ryder said.

  “No!” Erika looked over the room.

  Theo counted up the people in the room. Naoki was missing.

  “Where is that nerd?” Mi-Cha asked.

  Ryder gave Erika a knowing look.

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  “Erika’s been with me and Petra all this time, when could she have…” Aymeric trailed off.

  “Face it: she killed Naoki,” Ryder said. “I’m damn sure I was next, if I hadn’t trapped her first.”

  “Why kill all those people?” Aymeric asked.

  “Then she, the spy, would be in control,” Ryder said.

  “You are the spy!” Erika shouted.

  Ryder glared at her for a second, then focused on everyone else.

  “How about this,” Ryder said. “I order everyone to arrest Erika and toss her outta the fucking the airlock. Anyone who doesn’t comply is aiding her, and will go also take a spacewalk. Don’t care who you are.”

  “That’s insane!” Erika said.

  Ryder flashed a cruel smile.

  “Alright! To it!” Ryder clapped.

  Clive marched forward. Mi-Cha followed at his side.

  “I ain’t going out the airlock, sorry,” Mi-Cha said.

  Aymeric and Petra formed ranks in front of Erika.

  Theo stood where he was.

  Ryder, why did you have to leave me with this choice?

  If Theo stood with the crew, he was certain they could overpower the scientists. Erika would be dragged to an airlock and vented into space. But that wasn’t the right thing to do. There was no solid evidence that Erika was the spy. If she was really the traitor, Theo wouldn’t have a problem throwing Erika into the void, but there was a good chance she was innocent. He wouldn’t murder an innocent person.

  “Hey, Theo!” Ryder spat. “I ordered Erika to be detained. Are you gonna help, or are you gonna stand there like a sack of shit?”

  Theo turned to the Captain.

  “We need solid evidence that Erika is the traitor.” Theo kept his voice even.

  “Is my testimony not good enough?” Ryder demanded. The Captain rose his gun into Theo’s face.

  Mi-Cha shrieked and stumbled backward.

  The barrel of the pistol was centimeters from Theo’s forehead.

  Panic frenzied through Theo’s chest. He kept his face a stone mask. There was no reason for anyone to see his panic.

  “I like you Theo, I really do,” Ryder said, “but you need to back me the fuck up right now, because I won’t hesitate to blow your brains out here and now if you don’t listen.”

  Theo took deep, even breaths. He turned his attention away from the gun barrel, and to Ryder. The Captain’s nostrils flared. His dreadlocks fell in front of his wide, crazed eyes.

  Someone needs to calm him down.

  That someone was not Theo; he didn’t have a gift for speech. He wouldn’t know what to do or say to make Ryder listen to reason.

  The Captain’s finger vibrated on the trigger, ready for Theo to twitch wrong.

  Theo fought to keep his breaths steady.

  Someone was going to get Ryder’s attention, or convince him that killing Theo was the wrong thing to do, and Ryder would lower his gun. He had to lower the gun. Ryder kept his gun to Theo’s head. Everyone else watched.

  Except for Clive. He lunged toward the distracted scientists.

  “No!” Aymeric shouldered into Clive.

  Mi-Cha tried to slip though, but Petra caught her in a hug.

  “Fuck off!” Mi-Cha wriggled out of Petra’s grip, and dashed toward Erika.

  Ryder’s eyes flitted between the chaos and Theo.

  Mi-Cha jumped onto Erika.

  The women slammed to the floor and rolled. Mi-Cha pummeled Erika with her fists.

  “Stop struggling!” Mi-Cha shouted.

  Erika kicked Mi-Cha back, then scrambled to her feet. She stood in the open, away from anyone else. Ryder swung his pistol toward Erika.

  Theo wrapped his hands around the gun, and yanked. Ryder didn’t let go of his pistol. His finger was still on the trigger.

  Theo twisted Ryder’s arm so the gun aimed at the ceiling.

  A gunshot.

  The bullet ricocheted off the ceiling and bounced around the room.

  The crew cowered.

  Theo’s ears rung.

  Ryder tried to rip himself away from Theo, but Theo couldn’t let him go.

  The pair looked each other in the eyes. Ryder snarled something. Theo couldn’t hear it through the ringing, but he understood what the Captain wanted to say: I’m going to kill you.

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