Phantom Bounty: Part Four

Writer’s Note: Phantom Bounty: Part Four was published originally in Jump Point 3.4. Read Part One here, Part Two here, and Part Three here.
Mila was a traitor. She’d risked her career as a bounty hunter . . . had betrayed her partner, Rhys, to free Casey. Was it all worth it? Had Casey been telling the truth about her father developing bioweapons?

Mila snuck a glance at Casey as she returned to the co-pilot’s seat. The dark-haired woman offered her a small smile, then harnessed herself into her seat. Mila’s childhood friend. A terrorist.

The emptiness of space loomed before them, nothing but darkness beyond Devana’s forward screen. Mila gripped the controls so tightly her hands ached.

“I’ve managed to mask our signal,” Casey said, “but it’s a temporary fix only. We have a half hour. No more.”

“How . . . ?”

Casey explained the method, and Mila shook her head, partially in awe of the hacking skills required, partially in dismay over the length of the resulting prison sentence if she were caught at it.

“Could have used that trick myself a time or two,” Mila muttered.

“Not if you want to stay on the right side of the law.” Casey cleared her throat. “After this is over. Of course. Just picked up the signal on the scanner. Gotta be my contact. The ship’s waiting a few clicks from the jump point.”

Mila’s hands grew tighter on the controls as she glanced at the scanner screen. Space normally held the dual promises of endless possibility and endless danger . . . but today it held only danger for her.

“Any sign of the Advocacy?” Mila asked tightly.

“Not yet. But . . . they’ll follow. They always do. Get me to my contact, and we’ll execute the plan.”

Mila tried to calm her breathing, but her heart was racing, and she couldn’t make it stop. It was supposed to be simple. Mila would pull up next to the contact ship; Casey would knock her out, then transfer to the other ship. When Rhys and the Advocacy found Mila, she’d tell them Casey took her ship and ran with it. Then everything could go back to normal. Or almost normal. Would Rhys believe the lie? Could she lie to him?

This was stupid. So stupid. She’d acted rashly. There was no way she could lie well enough to convince the Advocacy and Rhys that Casey had somehow escaped the containment pod, overpowered her, and then locked her inside. But Mila didn’t have another solution.

“Straight ahead.” Casey plotted new coordinates, and Mila followed the trajectory.

A long, sleek yacht came into view in front of them. A few thin lights gleamed along the length of the 890’s hull. The owner of this ship had plenty of money; Casey’s contact was the real deal.

“Freelancer,” came a voice over the comm. “State your business.”

Casey replied, “Tell S Whispering Wind approaches.”

“Around which sun does the finest planet orbit?”

“Ilios.”

Mila’s heart skipped a beat and she slammed a hand over the comm, silencing it. “Ilios,” she hissed. “Like the project?”

Casey’s brows rose for a split second, then her expression smoothed. “Exactly like that.”

“I thought you destroyed all that data.”

“S has cleared you for docking,” the comm interrupted, “but we’ll need to scan you at close range.”

Casey pushed Mila’s hand out of the way and hit the comms. “Roger that.”

“Tell me what’s going on,” Mila hissed. “What is this about Ilios?”

Casey sighed. “I can’t tell you about S. Or Ilios. If I did, I’d have to kill you.”

Mila tensed in her seat. There was no hint of humor in Casey’s voice. None. She was serious.

“I risked everything for you!”

“Look . . . all I can say is that People First has friends in high places. They support the cause. But not all friends are created equal. Many do things . . . for their own reasons. And can be persuaded to help if you offer the right terms.”

Mila pulled the ship up beside the much longer 890. “This contact is connected with People First? And what were her terms for you, to get you out of here and betray PF?”

The 890 commed them before Casey could answer. “We detect two life signs in the Freelancer. S says you were supposed to come alone.”

“I needed help getting here,” Casey replied tersely.

“S says both of you must board. Or we leave.”

Casey glanced at Mila with a veiled expression, “I’m sorry to drag you into this. But we both have to go over there.”

“No.” Panic rushed through Mila, and she tightened her grip on the stick. “No way. That wasn’t the deal. You go over. I stay here. Or I’m leaving.”

“Evony.”

“Don’t call me that,” she said through gritted teeth. “My name is Mila now.”

“Mila,” Casey’s voice was low, soothing. “How do you think it’ll look if we fly away now? They’ll shoot us out of existence and jump without a glance back. You have to go over there. I’ll make sure S sends you back here.”

“How will you make sure?”

“I just will. Now suit up. We’re wasting too much time. S definitely won’t be happy if the Advocacy shows up at her door. But I’m pretty sure you understand that.” Casey left her seat and headed back to suit up herself.

Mila stared at the yacht, trying to decide if she could outmaneuver it and escape. But then what? She had to get rid of Casey, not keep her on board. She let out a frustrated sigh, unbuckled, and headed back to her gear. She ignored Casey, not meeting her gaze.

Her injured shoulder, shot by Casey, cried out in pain as she pulled her suit up. She slapped a new numbing patch on it and continued dressing. As she closed the suit up, her hand touched her necklace.

Mila’s heart twisted as she pulled the bronze token over her head. She stared down at it, at the infinity symbol, the special iridescent “good luck” stones dangling from it, and a new wave of regret washed over her.

Rhys had spent some of their last creds on this. To make her happy. Mila took the necklace and tucked it in the space between the bunk and the wall. She didn’t deserve it. And it hadn’t brought her good luck anyway, had it?

When Mila got back to the cargo hold, Casey was suited up, her helmet under one arm.

“Ready?”

“Yeah,” Mila mumbled.

They both latched their helmets on, then Mila depressurized the cargo hold and opened the back ramp. She and Casey pushed off the ramp and drifted toward the 890’s rear lift. When they were inside the empty space, the cage lifted under them, and artificial gravity gently resumed. A light turned green above them, and Casey took off her helmet. Mila did the same.

They stared at the double doors before them, waiting in tense silence.

The doors finally slid open, revealing a broad-shouldered man in a dark grey flight suit. “S will see you now.”

The man stepped into the lift, one hand gripping a pistol, and gestured for Mila and Casey to enter the ship.

Mila squared her shoulders and met the man’s hard glare with one of her own. She wouldn’t be afraid of these thugs. She’d faced off against dozens of wanted criminals and come out on top. She could do it again.

Another pair of guards met them in the next corridor where it widened. One of them patted Casey and Mila down and removed their mobiGlas as the other kept his gun trained on them. When they were satisfied, they led them down the corridor and into a well decorated lounge.

Mila’s eyes darted around. The lounge was on two decks, and more guards looked down at them from behind the rail of the upper deck. By the taste displayed here, Casey’s contact was old money. It could have been owned by Mila’s parents or any of their friends on Terra. Silk panels from Rihlah, famous Terran brocade applied to the benches, a delicate glass and metallic table at the center, and a very impractical glass chandelier hanging from the middle of the ceiling. Iridescent stones decorated the chandelier, and Mila’s hand almost went to the spot where her good luck necklace used to be. They looked just like the stones on it.

Two more guards entered, bringing the total to five on the main deck. Mila’s lips parted as a woman, apparently the mysterious ‘S,’ walked in behind them.

It was the woman from the market stall where Rhys had purchased her necklace.

Mila did a double take. No . . . there were differences. This S was petite, with space-black hair and light blue eyes, just like the woman at the stall. But the woman before her wore a well-tailored suit and robe, not loose skirts. And her hair wasn’t done up in braids, and she didn’t have a nose ring. She looked more . . . well-preserved — her skin smooth, a product of youth treatments. This was not the same woman . . . but Mila would be willing to bet they had some relation to each other.

The woman walked up to them with a smile, and exchanged kisses on the cheek with Casey.

“Brought a friend?” she asked, raising a brow at Mila.

“Like I said. I needed a ride.”

“And who is this?”

Mila didn’t answer, just tried to keep her expression blank. She couldn’t let this woman know she knew anything about her.

“She’s just an old friend of mine,” Casey said, her voice light.

The woman’s eyes darkened, her polite demeanor fading a fraction. She gestured to one of the guards.

“Come with me, Elaine. Let us talk over here.”

Casey followed her to an ottoman near the center of the room, while the guard grabbed Mila’s arm and pulled her to the edge of the space and out of earshot of Casey and S’s quiet conversation. Did S know who Casey was originally? She’d called her Elaine, the name she’d used on Tevistal.

The two of them engaged in an intense, quiet talk for a few minutes and then Casey lifted the sleeve of her suit and peeled off a piece of her skin. False skin. Mila went cold at the sight of it. Casey hadn’t mentioned any hidden data . . . or details on the price for her passage. Casey scraped a chip from the skin and passed it to S.

Casey was selling data, probably Phan Pharmaceutical data. Had she lied about everything? Was she just stealing data to sell to competitors? Anger started to bloom in Mila’s chest, and she fought to keep her mouth shut. All that mattered now was that Mila get out of this alive and unscathed.

Casey finished her transaction and returned to Mila.

“What was that?” Mila hissed.

Casey’s expression was tight. “She’ll let you go back to your ship just as soon as she checks my payment.”

A new guard ran through the door. “Madame. The Advocacy was spotted by our scout. We need to jump. Now.”

“Wait — no.” Mila looked toward the door they’d come in. “Send me back. Send me back now.”

S shot them a glare and gestured to the guard behind Mila. “Take them each to a room until after the jumps.”

Jumps. This was starting to get a lot more complicated.

“Let me go back to my ship!” Mila’s voice rose.

Casey dug her nails into Mila’s hand and leaned close, whispering. “They won’t let you now. Keep it together if you want to survive this.”

Mila lurched to the side, trying to make a desperate run back out to her ship.

The guards closed in on her, grabbed both her arms, and dragged her the other way. She went limp, no longer fighting it as the realization of what had happened sunk in.

They took her up a flight of stairs and opened the first door they came to, pushing her inside.

“Harness up. We’ll be jumping soon,” one of the guards said.

The door slid closed and she heard the lock engage. Mila took a panicked look around the small room, and then sank down in the jump seat. Tears brimmed in her eyes as she buckled in. She’d messed up.

She’d always been able to get out of scraps before. Always. But not this time. She just kept sinking deeper into a pit that appeared to have no bottom.

The ship hummed softly as it powered up, and in mere minutes she felt the woozy sensation of the first jump. Another soon followed, and Mila’s hope died as they travelled further and further away from her ship.

When the Advocacy found the empty Devana . . . they’d know. They’d know she’d helped Casey escape. They’d think she was working with her.

And it would be true.

The stomach-lurching feeling of the third jump let Mila know her old life was over for good. Now she was a criminal . . . on the run. She could try to say Casey had kidnapped her, but why would she have? There was no good way out of this. And Rhys knew the truth; he’d known about their shared past. If the Advocacy pressed him . . .

Would Mila even get off this ship alive?

When the yacht powered down, Mila unharnessed herself and paced the small room.

Hours passed, and a guard brought Mila food and water. The reconstituted food tasted like death, like a last meal before the end, and a terrible one at that. She could barely wrap her mind around what she’d done — how much her life had changed in just a few hours. Then the locks disengaged on her door again, and she turned as it slid open.

Casey slipped through and quickly closed it. “The guards are busy . . . for the moment. This might be our only chance to talk.”

“You lied to me. You knew.”

“No. I didn’t. I’d hoped to get you back to the ship.”

“I can never go back now, Casey. Not ever.”

“Shh. I’m Elaine here.” Casey looked completely calm, unbothered by the fact that Mila’s entire life was hanging in the balance.

Mila rushed Casey and shoved her against the metal wall. “They’re not gonna let me walk out of here, are they? I’m an unknown entity. I was never supposed to be here.”

Casey winced with pain and her forehead creased with worry. “S — Sybil — will make sure she knows who you are before she lets you leave now. And when she finds out you’re a bounty hunter . . .”

“Well, I think I know something about her. There was this woman selling trinkets at the market—”

“A younger sister. You don’t say a word about knowing anything, understand? She’ll kill you if she thinks you know anything about her. She operates under the illusion that we don’t know anything.”

Mila backed away from Casey, feeling dizzy. “You lied to me. You’re selling data—”

“Not bioweapons! When we do jobs, we collect harmless, or even beneficial, research and sell it to fund our cause. But I’m funding my escape with it this time.”

“What is it? What did you just sell?” Mila’s voice rose as she spoke, and she tried to calm herself down, but her mind was racing.

“The formula for a medical treatment that hasn’t been patented yet.”

“How can I believe that?”

“Look, we don’t have time for this.” Casey placed her hands on Mila’s shoulders, forcing her to look her in the eyes. “You know about her family. She’s going to find out about you. There’s no way she’s letting you just go back to your regular life now. You have one choice.”

Mila shrugged off Casey’s hands. “What?”

“You come with me. I’m going to try to convince her to let us disappear together.”

“No!” Mila began to pace the room again. “I can’t just . . . leave the Empire.”

“If you stay — you just freed me and left your ship stranded next to a jump point. They’ll know you helped me. You have no other choice.”

“You think I don’t know what it looks like? You have to help me get off of here. Have them drop me off somewhere so I can . . . somehow make it right.”

“You know too much! About me — about PF — about Sybil.”

Red crowded around the edges of Mila’s vision, and it took everything she had not to wrap her hands around Casey’s neck and squeeze. “I helped you. You’d be dead if it wasn’t for me. You have to help me fix this. Help me get out of here.”

Casey folded her arms across her chest and glanced back toward the door. “I can’t.”

“You. Will.”

“They’ll catch you—”

“And it won’t matter to you either way. You’ll be long gone, hiding in Xi’an territory.”

Casey met Mila’s eyes and sighed. “Fine. Get yourself killed if that’s what you want.” She reached into her suit pocket and pulled out a translucent swipe card.

“Stole it off a guard.” Casey smiled ruefully. “This should get you into the corridor at the end of this one. They have a little 85X there. I know we’re stopping at a planet soon. Backwater, but plenty of places to hide. I’ll distract the guards for you. When I knock twice on your door, wait five minutes, then it’s time for you to go.”

Mila stared down at the card in her hand.

“Thank you again, for helping me. I owe you my life.” Casey wrapped her in a quick hug that Mila didn’t return. “I really am sorry. Try to be safe.” Casey gave her one last sad smile. “If you change your mind . . .”

“No,” Mila said, her voice breaking. “I’m going to fix this.”

The knocks came after Mila had given up on Casey ever following through.

Two knocks.

Mila grabbed her helmet off the floor and hugged it to her chest.

Heart pumping a chaotic rhythm in her chest, Mila waited through five tense minutes, then swiped the card Casey had given her. The door slid open to reveal an empty corridor beyond. She barely breathed as she gingerly stepped into the corridor and looked both ways. She turned right, as Casey had directed her to, and hurried toward the end. It curved right, taking her to a new door.

She said a quick prayer to the Banu god of luck that the room beyond would be empty, then scanned the card.

The door opened into a hangar bay. The 85X sat at the center of it.

An alarm sounded, and red lights began to flash in the bay.

Mila was sweating freely as she latched her helmet on.

“Hey!”

Someone tackled her from behind, shoving her down on the floor. She fought back, twisting in the man’s grasp until she saw him face to face. A guard, the one who had warned Sybil about the Advocacy’s arrival.

Mila slammed a gloved fist into his unprotected face, and he stumbled backward. She desperately climbed forward, trying to get into the 85X cockpit, but the guard followed her.

Depressurize Bay. The small words flashed in the corner of the cockpit’s interface. As the guard grabbed her leg, she hit the button on the screen. A whole new set of alarms joined the ongoing din. The man’s eyes widened, and he scrambled away from her, toward the hangar door. He scanned his key card, trying to make it open, but it was sealed shut. He would die if she didn’t do something.

Mila paused the depressurization and lurched out of the ship. She crashed into the man, seeking the pistol he held in his grip. She slammed an elbow into his gut again, and he released the gun. She picked it up and trained it on him.

“Last chance to get out!” she yelled. He stared at her wild eyed and scanned his card again.

This time the door opened. Several guards waited beyond, but he yelled something to them and they didn’t try to enter.

The door slid shut, and Mila climbed back into the ship, tossing the pistol into the seat beside her.

She brought up the Starmap, her hands shaking with adrenaline, praying that it would display more than a void. They were in orbit over a settled world! She chose a landing site to the west of the closest city. She could abandon the ship there, hide in the wooded hills, wait it out until she was sure Sybil and her guards had given up waiting for her to emerge. She chose her destination, and then completed the prep sequence.

The countdown began. She harnessed herself into the seat as the hangar bay opened, revealing black space behind.

She throttled up and took off, leaving the 890 behind.

Mila headed directly planetside, sparing little attention for the ship at her back. If they shot up the runabout, she would have no more worries herself. There was nothing she could do but speed to her landing site.

She pictured Rhys. His handsome face, his reassuring words, the way he’d held her. That smirk she’d probably never see again unless she got caught or found a way to fix this impossible situation.

As she entered the planet’s atmosphere, she spared the time for a few tears.

A few days ago she’d been hunting the Phantom.

Now she needed to become one.

Five Months Later

Mila wove her way through dark alleyways, keeping her head down, a hood concealing her face. A lock of her newly short-cropped blonde hair fell into her eyes, and she blinked as it irritated them. The green colored contacts she wore felt dry, scratchy. But at least from afar she wouldn’t be recognized.

She glanced back at a huddle of transients gathered round a rusty heater, and turned down the next alley. She’d reached the hostel sector.

It was dangerous being back in Tevistal so soon after the Incident, but she’d run out of options and time. A dozen small-time jobs had funded her existence along the way, but now there were even more bounties on her head.

She’d been hunted for months, had been nearly caught, but so far she’d always gotten away. And this was the one place they’d probably never expect her to return.

Mila gritted her teeth and walked down the dark alley between two hostels. A cracked globe flickered, guiding her to a hostel entrance. She pushed open the door, and the scent of piss wafted over her. It barely registered. This place was only half as filthy as most of the places she’d slept the past few months.

Voices rang through the thin metal walls. Arguments. The sound of two people moaning and grunting. An old vid playing at full blast.

Mila found an unoccupied room and went inside. Dim sensor lights lit up the room. The place had a film of filth coating it, but it would do.

She shut the door behind her and activated the second-hand mobiGlas on her wrist. Her hacking program did a quick job of activating the RoomTab. The lights and power came on in response, and she pulled her mobi away. It would stay on until she ran her program again. No creds needed. Which was good, because she didn’t have many left.

A glance around the now well-lit room brought a flood of memories back. The pain came with it, weighing Mila down. She sank to the dirty mattress.

She and Rhys had tracked the Phantom to a room like this once.

Mila did something she hadn’t done for weeks. She brought up the news search she’d saved to her mobiGlas, to see if anything had changed since she’d last checked.

PHAN PHARMACEUTICAL CEO UNDER INVESTIGATION

She rewatched the vid of Casey’s father being arrested with the sound turned off. Owen Phan’s face was the same regal countenance she remembered from growing up. When Mila had first heard that the truth about the biological weapons had leaked, it had been a relief to learn that Casey had at least been telling the truth about that. And even more importantly, Mila’s mother had been kept completely clear of the breaking scandal. Knowing that Phan wouldn’t be making weapons anymore was the only glimmer of light in these recent dark days.

Almost without thinking, Mila accessed another archived news story.

An image of herself flashed in the air before her. Or at least what Mila used to look like. It was the photo the Advocacy had been using on her bounty.

EVONY SALINAS CHARGED WITH AIDING AND ABETTING “THE PHANTOM”

The article speculated on the nature of the terrorism, on the relationship between Mila’s parents and Phan Pharmaceuticals, and on Mila’s motives. Even with the revelation of the biological weapons it hadn’t changed the fact that the Phantom had wreaked havoc for months. Casey, and by association Mila, were still considered criminals.

The article had included a small photo of Rhys as well. He had been held for questioning, but with no proof of any wrongdoing on his part he had eventually been released.

Mila reread the final line.

Evony Mila Salinas is still at large, with several bounties on her head for crimes ranging from petty theft to terrorism.

She scanned back up to see Rhys’s face one more time, but it was like a knife through her heart. She turned off the mobi.

She needed to get to Xi’an territory fast, and she only knew of one woman who could get her there. Sybil.

But she’d been unable to dig up anything useful on the woman. All she knew was that she was related to that peddler who had sold trinkets in the Tevistal market square on Pilgrim’s Day. So that’s who Mila needed to find. Sybil might have her guards shoot Mila on sight after what she’d done . . . but Sybil had helped Casey — for a price.

And Mila was desperate enough to pay just about any price Sybil asked. She’d learned a few weeks ago that Rhys was hunting her down, trying to bring her in, that her time was running out.

Maybe . . . maybe if he did find her again in Xi’an territory, free of Advocacy influence, she could explain. She could hope for his forgiveness, if nothing more.

But until then, she’d be a Phantom. Doing what she needed to stay free.

THE END

Anmerkung des Autors: Phantom-Bounty: Teil Vier wurde ursprünglich in Jump Point 3.4 veröffentlicht. Lies Teil Eins hier, Teil Zwei hier und Teil Drei hier.
Mila war eine Verräterin. Sie hatte ihre Karriere als Kopfgeldjägerin riskiert.... hatte ihren Partner Rhys verraten, um Casey zu befreien. Hat sich das alles gelohnt? Hatte Casey die Wahrheit über ihren Vater gesagt, der Biowaffen entwickelt hatte?

Mila schaute einen Blick auf Casey, als sie auf den Sitz des Co-Piloten zurückkehrte. Die dunkelhaarige Frau bot ihr ein kleines Lächeln an und setzte sich dann in ihren Sitz. Milas Jugendfreundin. Ein Terrorist.

Die Leere des Raumes tauchte vor ihnen auf, nichts als Dunkelheit jenseits von Devanas vorderem Bildschirm. Mila packte die Bedienelemente so fest, dass ihre Hände schmerzten.

"Ich habe es geschafft, unser Signal zu verbergen", sagte Casey, "aber es ist nur eine vorübergehende Lösung. Wir haben eine halbe Stunde Zeit. Nicht mehr."

"Wie... wie... "?”

Casey erklärte die Methode, und Mila schüttelte den Kopf, teils in Ehrfurcht vor den erforderlichen Hacking-Fähigkeiten, teils in Bestürzung über die Dauer der daraus resultierenden Gefängnisstrafe, wenn sie dabei erwischt wurde.

"Ich hätte diesen Trick ein oder zwei Mal selbst anwenden können", murmelte Mila.

"Nicht, wenn du auf der richtigen Seite des Gesetzes bleiben willst." Casey räusperte sich. "Nachdem das hier vorbei ist. Natürlich. Ich habe gerade das Signal auf dem Scanner empfangen. Ich muss mein Kontakt sein. Das Schiff wartet nur ein paar Klicks vom Sprungplatz entfernt."

Milas Hände wurden enger an den Bedienelementen, als sie auf den Scanner-Bildschirm blickte. Der Raum hielt normalerweise die doppelten Versprechungen von endloser Möglichkeit und endloser Gefahr.... aber heute war er nur noch eine Gefahr für sie.

"Irgendein Zeichen von der Anwaltschaft?" fragte Mila straff.

"Noch nicht. Aber.... sie werden folgen. Das tun sie immer. Bringen Sie mich zu meinem Kontakt, und wir führen den Plan aus."

Mila versuchte, ihre Atmung zu beruhigen, aber ihr Herz raste, und sie konnte es nicht verhindern. Es sollte einfach sein. Mila zog sich neben das Kontaktschiff zurück; Casey schlug sie nieder und überführte sie dann auf das andere Schiff. Als Rhys und die Anwaltschaft Mila fanden, sagte sie ihnen, Casey nahm ihr Schiff und lief mit ihm. Dann könnte alles wieder normal werden. Oder fast normal. Würde Rhys die Lüge glauben? Könnte sie ihn anlügen?

Das war dumm. So dumm. Sie hatte sich voreilig verhalten. Es gab keine Möglichkeit, dass sie gut genug lügen konnte, um die Advocacy und Rhys davon zu überzeugen, dass Casey irgendwie aus der Eindämmungskapsel entkommen war, sie überwältigte und dann in ihr Inneres einschloss. Aber Mila hatte keine andere Lösung.

"Geradeaus weiter." Casey plante neue Koordinaten, und Mila folgte der Trajektorie.

Eine lange, schlanke Yacht kam vor ihnen in Sicht. Ein paar dünne Lichter schimmerten auf der Länge des Rumpfes der 890er Jahre. Der Besitzer dieses Schiffes hatte viel Geld; Caseys Kontakt war das einzig Wahre.

"Freelancer", kam eine Stimme über die Leitung. "Nennt euer Anliegen."

Casey antwortete: "Tell S Whispering Wind kommt näher."

"Um welche Sonne kreist der feinste Planet?"

" Ilios."

Milas Herz ließ einen Schlag aus und sie schlug eine Hand über die Kommunikation und brachte sie zum Schweigen. "Ilios", zischte sie. "Gefällt dir das Projekt?"

Caseys Augenbrauen stiegen für einen Bruchteil einer Sekunde, dann wurde ihr Ausdruck geglättet. "Genau so ist es."

"Ich dachte, du hättest all diese Daten zerstört."

"S hat dich für das Andocken freigegeben", unterbrach der Comm, "aber wir müssen dich aus nächster Nähe scannen."

Casey drückte Milas Hand aus dem Weg und traf die Kommunikation. " Verstanden."

"Sag mir, was los ist", zischte Mila. "Was ist das mit Ilios?"

Casey seufzte. "Ich kann dir nichts über S. Or Ilios erzählen. Wenn ich das täte, müsste ich dich töten."

Mila verspannte sich auf ihrem Sitz. Es gab keinen Hauch von Humor in Caseys Stimme. Keine. Sie meinte es ernst.

"Ich habe alles für dich riskiert!"

"Schau... alles, was ich sagen kann, ist, dass People First Freunde an hohen Orten hat. Sie unterstützen die Sache. Aber nicht alle Freunde sind gleich geschaffen. Viele tun Dinge.... aus ihren eigenen Gründen. Und kann davon überzeugt werden, zu helfen, wenn Sie die richtigen Konditionen anbieten."

Mila zog das Schiff neben dem viel längeren 890 hoch. "Dieser Kontakt ist mit People First verbunden? Und was waren ihre Bedingungen für dich, um dich hier rauszuholen und PF zu verraten?"

Der 890 kam zu ihnen, bevor Casey antworten konnte. "Wir entdecken zwei Lebenszeichen im Freelancer. S sagt, dass du alleine kommen solltest."

"Ich brauchte Hilfe, um hierher zu kommen", antwortete Casey kurz und bündig.

"S sagt, ihr beide müsst an Bord gehen. Oder wir gehen."

Casey blickte Mila mit einem verschleierten Gesichtsausdruck an: "Es tut mir leid, dass ich dich da mit hineinziehe. Aber wir beide müssen da rüber gehen."

" Nein." Panik eilte durch Mila, und sie zog ihren Griff am Stock fest. "Auf keinen Fall. Das war nicht der Deal. Du gehst rüber. Ich bleibe hier. Oder ich gehe."

" Evony."

"Nenn mich nicht so", sagte sie mit knirschenden Zähnen. "Mein Name ist jetzt Mila."

"Mila", Caseys Stimme war leise und beruhigend. "Wie würde es aussehen, wenn wir jetzt wegfliegen? Sie werden uns aus der Existenz schießen und ohne einen Blick zurück springen. Du musst da rübergehen. Ich sorge dafür, dass S dich hierher zurückschickt."

"Wie willst du das sicherstellen?"

"Ich werde es einfach tun. Jetzt zieh dich an. Wir verschwenden zu viel Zeit. S wird definitiv nicht glücklich sein, wenn die Advocacy vor ihrer Tür steht. Aber ich bin mir ziemlich sicher, dass du das verstehst." Casey verließ ihren Platz und ging zurück, um sich selbst anzuziehen.

Mila starrte die Yacht an und versuchte zu entscheiden, ob sie sie ausmanövrieren und entkommen konnte. Aber was dann? Sie musste Casey loswerden, nicht sie an Bord behalten. Sie ließ einen frustrierten Seufzer los, der nicht angeschnallt war, und ging zurück zu ihrer Ausrüstung. Sie ignorierte Casey, ohne ihrem Blick zu begegnen.

Ihre verletzte Schulter, von Casey erschossen, schrie vor Schmerz, als sie ihren Anzug hochzog. Sie schlug einen neuen, betäubenden Fleck darauf und zog sich weiter an. Als sie den Anzug schloss, berührte ihre Hand ihre Halskette.

Milas Herz verdrehte sich, als sie die bronzene Münze über ihren Kopf zog. Sie starrte darauf herab, auf das Unendlichkeitssymbol, die besonderen irisierenden "Glückssteine", die daran baumelten, und eine neue Welle des Bedauerns überflutete sie.

Rhys hatte einige ihrer letzten Glaubensbekenntnisse dafür ausgegeben. Um sie glücklich zu machen. Mila nahm die Halskette und steckte sie in den Raum zwischen Koje und Wand. Sie hat es nicht verdient. Und es hatte ihr sowieso nicht viel Glück gebracht, oder?

Als Mila zurück in den Frachtraum kam, wurde Casey angezogen, ihr Helm unter einem Arm.

" Bereit?"

"Ja", murmelte Mila.

Beide rasten ihre Helme ein, dann entlastete Mila den Laderaum und öffnete die hintere Rampe. Sie und Casey stießen von der Rampe und trieben in Richtung des hinteren Hebers des 890er. Als sie sich im leeren Raum befanden, hob sich der Käfig unter ihnen an, und die künstliche Schwerkraft nahm sanft wieder zu. Ein Licht wurde grün über ihnen, und Casey nahm ihren Helm ab. Mila tat das Gleiche.

Sie starrten auf die Doppeltüren vor ihnen und warteten in angespannter Stille.

Die Türen glitten schließlich auf und enthüllten einen breitschultrigen Mann in einem dunkelgrauen Fluganzug. "S wird dich jetzt sehen."

Der Mann trat in den Aufzug, eine Hand griff nach einer Pistole und gestikulierte, dass Mila und Casey das Schiff betreten sollten.

Mila rechnete mit den Schultern und traf den harten Blick des Mannes mit einem ihrer eigenen. Sie würde keine Angst vor diesen Schlägern haben. Sie hatte sich gegen Dutzende von gesuchten Kriminellen gestellt und kam an die Spitze. Sie könnte es wieder tun.

Ein weiteres Wachpaar traf sie im nächsten Korridor, wo es sich erweiterte. Einer von ihnen tätschelte Casey und Mila ab und entfernte ihr mobiGlas, während der andere seine Waffe auf sie gerichtet hielt. Als sie zufrieden waren, führten sie sie durch den Flur und in eine gut eingerichtete Lounge.

Milas Augen huschten herum. Die Lounge befand sich auf zwei Decks, und weitere Wachen blickten hinter der Reling des Oberdecks auf sie herab. Nach dem hier gezeigten Geschmack war Caseys Kontakt altes Geld. Es könnte im Besitz von Milas Eltern oder einem ihrer Freunde auf Terra gewesen sein. Seidenpaneele aus Rihlah, berühmter Terraner Brokat auf den Bänken, ein zarter Glas- und Metalltisch in der Mitte und ein sehr unpraktischer Glaslüster, der von der Mitte der Decke hängt. Schillernde Steine schmückten den Kronleuchter, und Milas Hand ging fast an die Stelle, an der sich ihre Glücksbringerkette befand. Sie sahen aus wie die Steine darauf.

Zwei weitere Wachen traten ein, so dass die Gesamtzahl auf fünf auf dem Hauptdeck stieg. Milas Lippen trennten sich als Frau, scheinbar das mysteriöse "S", kam hinter ihnen herein.

Es war die Frau vom Marktstand, wo Rhys ihre Halskette gekauft hatte.

Mila machte eine Doppelaufnahme. Nein.... es gab Unterschiede. Dieses S war zierlich, mit raumschwarzem Haar und hellblauen Augen, genau wie die Frau am Stand. Aber die Frau vor ihr trug einen gut zugeschnittenen Anzug und Mantel, keine losen Röcke. Und ihr Haar war nicht mit Zöpfen verziert, und sie hatte keinen Nasenring. Sie sah mehr aus.... gut erhalten - ihre Haut glatt, ein Produkt der Jugendbehandlung. Dies war nicht die gleiche Frau.... aber Mila wäre bereit zu wetten, dass sie eine gewisse Beziehung zueinander hatten.

Die Frau ging mit einem Lächeln auf sie zu und tauschte mit Casey Küsse auf die Wange aus.

"Hast du einen Freund mitgebracht?", fragte sie und hob Mila die Stirn.

"Wie ich schon sagte. Ich brauchte eine Mitfahrgelegenheit."

"Und wer ist das?"

Mila antwortete nicht, versuchte nur, ihren Gesichtsausdruck leer zu halten. Sie durfte diese Frau nicht wissen lassen, dass sie etwas über sie wusste.

"Sie ist nur eine alte Freundin von mir", sagte Casey, ihr Stimmlicht.

Die Augen der Frau verdunkelten sich, ihr höfliches Auftreten verblasste um einen Bruchteil. Sie gestikulierte zu einer der Wachen.

"Komm mit mir, Elaine. Lassen Sie uns hier drüben reden."

Casey folgte ihr zu einem Ottoman in der Nähe der Mitte des Raumes, während die Wache Milas Arm packte und sie an den Rand des Raumes und aus der Hörweite von Casey und S's ruhigem Gespräch zog. Wusste S, wer Casey ursprünglich war? Sie hatte sie Elaine genannt, den Namen, den sie bei Tevistal benutzt hatte.

Die beiden unterhielten sich für ein paar Minuten in einem intensiven, ruhigen Gespräch, und dann hob Casey den Ärmel ihres Anzugs an und schälte ein Stück ihrer Haut ab. Falsche Haut. Mila wurde kalt, als sie es sah. Casey hatte keine versteckten Daten erwähnt. ... oder Details über den Preis für ihre Passage. Casey schabte einen Chip von der Haut und gab ihn an S.

Casey verkaufte Daten, wahrscheinlich Phan Pharmaceutical Daten. Hatte sie über alles gelogen? Hat sie nur Daten gestohlen, um sie an Konkurrenten zu verkaufen? Wut begann in Milas Brust zu blühen, und sie kämpfte, um ihren Mund zu halten. Alles, worauf es jetzt ankam, war, dass Mila lebendig und unversehrt aus der Sache herauskam.

Casey beendete ihre Transaktion und kehrte zu Mila zurück.

"Was war das?" zischte Mila.

Caseys Gesichtsausdruck war straff. "Sie wird dich zu deinem Schiff zurückkehren lassen, sobald sie meine Zahlung überprüft."

Eine neue Wache lief durch die Tür. "Madame. Die Advocacy wurde von unserem Späher entdeckt. Wir müssen springen. Jetzt."

"Warte - nein." Mila blickte auf die Tür, in die sie hereinkommen würden. "Schick mich zurück. Schick mich sofort zurück."

S schoss ihnen einen Blick zu und gestikulierte zu der Wache hinter Mila. "Bringt sie alle in einen Raum, bis nach den Sprüngen."

Sprünge. Das wurde langsam viel komplizierter.

"Lass mich zurück zu meinem Schiff gehen!" Milas Stimme erhob sich.

Casey grub ihre Nägel in Milas Hand und lehnte sich nah heran, flüsternd. "Sie werden dich jetzt nicht lassen. Reiß dich zusammen, wenn du das hier überleben willst."

Mila taumelte zur Seite und versuchte, einen verzweifelten Ausflug zurück zu ihrem Schiff zu machen.

Die Wachen schlossen sich ihr an, packten ihre beiden Arme und zogen sie in die andere Richtung. Sie wurde schlaff und kämpfte nicht mehr dagegen, da die Erkenntnis des Geschehens einbrach.

Sie nahmen sie eine Treppe hinauf, öffneten die erste Tür, zu der sie kamen, und schoben sie hinein.

"Zaumzeug anlegen. Wir werden bald springen", sagte eine der Wachen.

Die Tür schob sich zu und sie hörte, wie das Schloss einraste. Mila sah sich in Panik in dem kleinen Raum um und sank dann auf dem Klappsitz. Tränen strömten in ihren Augen, als sie sich einschnallte. Sie hatte es vermasselt.

Sie war immer in der Lage, aus den Abfällen herauszukommen. Immer. Aber diesmal nicht. Sie sank einfach immer tiefer in eine Grube, die keinen Boden zu haben schien.

Das Schiff brummte beim Einschalten leise, und in wenigen Minuten spürte sie das schwammartige Gefühl des ersten Sprungs. Eine weitere folgte bald, und Milas Hoffnung starb, als sie immer weiter von ihrem Schiff weg reisten.

Als die Advocacy den leeren Devana fand. ...sie würden es wissen. Sie wussten, dass sie Casey bei der Flucht geholfen hatte. Man könnte meinen, sie arbeitet mit ihr zusammen.

Und es wäre wahr.

Das magenschwache Gefühl des dritten Sprungs ließ Mila wissen, dass ihr altes Leben für immer vorbei war. Jetzt war sie eine Kriminelle.... auf der Flucht. Sie konnte versuchen zu sagen, dass Casey sie entführt hatte, aber warum sollte sie es tun? Es gab keinen guten Ausweg. Und Rhys kannte die Wahrheit; er hatte von ihrer gemeinsamen Vergangenheit gewusst. Wenn die Advokaten ihn bedrängten.....

Würde Mila überhaupt lebend von diesem Schiff runterkommen?

Als die Yacht heruntergefahren wurde, löste Mila sich und ging durch den kleinen Raum.

Stunden vergingen, und eine Wache brachte Mila Essen und Wasser. Das rekonstituierte Essen schmeckte wie der Tod, wie eine letzte Mahlzeit vor dem Ende, und eine schreckliche dazu. Sie konnte sich kaum vorstellen, was sie getan hatte - wie sehr sich ihr Leben in nur wenigen Stunden verändert hatte. Dann rasten die Schlösser an ihrer Tür wieder aus, und sie drehte sich um, als sie aufrutschte.

Casey schlüpfte durch und schloss sie schnell. "Die Wachen sind beschäftigt.... im Moment. Das ist vielleicht unsere einzige Chance zu reden."

"Du hast mich angelogen. Du wusstest es."

"Nein. Habe ich nicht. Ich hatte gehofft, dich zurück zum Schiff zu bringen."

"Ich kann jetzt nie wieder zurück, Casey. Niemals."

"Shh. Ich bin Elaine hier." Casey sah völlig ruhig aus, unbehelligt von der Tatsache, dass Milas ganzes Leben auf dem Spiel stand.

Mila eilte zu Casey und schob sie gegen die Metallwand. "Sie werden mich nicht hier rausgehen lassen, oder? Ich bin ein unbekanntes Wesen. Ich hätte nie hier sein sollen."

Casey zuckte vor Schmerz und ihre Stirn knitterte vor Sorge. "S - Sybil - wird dafür sorgen, dass sie weiß, wer du bist, bevor sie dich jetzt gehen lässt. Und wenn sie herausfindet, dass du ein Kopfgeldjäger bist...."

"Nun, ich glaube, ich weiß etwas über sie. Da war diese Frau, die auf dem Markt Schmuck verkauft hat."

"Eine jüngere Schwester. Du sagst kein Wort darüber, etwas zu wissen, verstanden? Sie wird dich töten, wenn sie denkt, dass du etwas über sie weißt. Sie operiert unter der Illusion, dass wir nichts wissen."

Mila wich von Casey zurück und fühlte sich schwindelig. "Du hast mich angelogen. Du verkaufst Daten...."

"Keine Biowaffen! Wenn wir Aufträge erledigen, sammeln wir harmlose oder sogar nützliche Recherchen und verkaufen sie, um unsere Sache zu finanzieren. Aber diesmal finanziere ich meine Flucht damit."

"Was ist das? Was hast du gerade verkauft?" Milas Stimme erhob sich, als sie sprach, und sie versuchte, sich zu beruhigen, aber ihr Geist raste.

"Die Formel für eine medizinische Behandlung, die noch nicht patentiert ist."

"Wie kann ich das glauben?"

"Schau, wir haben keine Zeit dafür." Casey legte ihre Hände auf Milas Schultern und zwang sie, ihr in die Augen zu schauen. "Du weißt von ihrer Familie. Sie wird das mit dir herausfinden. Es ist unmöglich, dass sie dich jetzt einfach wieder in dein normales Leben zurückkehren lässt. Du hast eine Wahl."

Mila zuckte Caseys Händen mit den Achseln. " Was?"

"Du kommst mit mir mit. Ich werde versuchen, sie zu überzeugen, uns zusammen verschwinden zu lassen."

" Nein!" Mila begann, den Raum wieder zu beleben. "Ich kann nicht einfach... das Imperium verlassen."

"Wenn du bleibst - du hast mich gerade befreit und dein Schiff neben einem Sprungplatz gestrandet gelassen. Sie werden wissen, dass du mir geholfen hast. Du hast keine andere Wahl."

"Denkst du, ich weiß nicht, wie es aussieht? Du musst mir helfen, von hier wegzukommen. Sie sollen mich irgendwo absetzen, damit ich es irgendwie richtig machen kann."

"Du weißt zu viel! Über mich - über PF - über Sybil."

Rot drängte sich um die Ränder von Milas Vision, und es brauchte alles, was sie hatte, um ihre Hände nicht um Caseys Hals zu wickeln und zu drücken. "Ich habe dir geholfen. Du wärst tot, wenn ich nicht gewesen wäre. Du musst mir helfen, das in Ordnung zu bringen. Hilf mir, hier rauszukommen."

Casey faltete ihre Arme über ihre Brust und blickte zurück zur Tür. "Ich kann nicht."

" Du... wirst..."

"Sie werden dich fangen..."

"Und es wird dir so oder so nichts ausmachen. Du wirst lange weg sein und dich in Xi'an Gebiet verstecken."

Casey traf Milas Augen und seufzte. "Gut. Lass dich umbringen, wenn es das ist, was du willst." Sie griff in ihre Anzugtasche und zog eine durchsichtige Magnetkarte heraus.

" Ich habe es von einer Wache gestohlen." Casey lächelte bedauernd. "Das sollte dich in den Flur am Ende von diesem hier bringen. Sie haben ein kleines 85X dort. Ich weiß, dass wir bald bei einem Planeten anhalten werden. Backwater, aber viele Verstecke. Ich lenke die Wachen für dich ab. Wenn ich zweimal an deine Tür klopfe, warte fünf Minuten, dann ist es Zeit für dich zu gehen."

Mila starrte auf die Karte in ihrer Hand.

"Nochmals vielen Dank, dass du mir geholfen hast. Ich schulde dir mein Leben." Casey wickelte sie in eine schnelle Umarmung, die Mila nicht zurückbekam. "Es tut mir wirklich leid. Versuchen Sie, sicher zu sein." Casey schenkte ihr ein letztes trauriges Lächeln. "Wenn du deine Meinung änderst...."

"Nein", sagte Mila, ihre Stimme bricht. "Ich werde das in Ordnung bringen."

Die Schläge kamen, nachdem Mila Casey aufgegeben hatte und Casey jemals durchgesetzt hatte.

Zwei Schläge.

Mila nahm ihren Helm vom Boden und umarmte ihn an ihrer Brust.

Das Herz pumpte einen chaotischen Rhythmus in ihre Brust, Mila wartete fünf angespannte Minuten durch, dann streichelte sie die Karte, die Casey ihr gegeben hatte. Die Tür schob sich auf, um einen leeren Gang dahinter freizulegen. Sie atmete kaum, als sie behutsam in den Flur trat und in beide Richtungen sah. Sie drehte sich nach rechts, wie Casey sie angewiesen hatte, und eilte zum Ende. Es krümmte sich nach rechts und brachte sie zu einer neuen Tür.

Sie sprach ein kurzes Gebet an den Banu-Gott des Glücks, dass der Raum dahinter leer sein würde, und scannte dann die Karte.

Die Tür öffnete sich in eine Hangarhalle. Der 85X saß in der Mitte.

Ein Alarm ertönte, und rote Lichter begannen in der Bucht zu blinken.

Mila schwitzte frei, als sie ihren Helm anlegte.

" Hey!"

Jemand packte sie von hinten an und schob sie auf den Boden. Sie wehrte sich und drehte sich im Griff des Mannes, bis sie ihn von Angesicht zu Angesicht sah. Ein Wächter, derjenige, der Sybil vor der Ankunft der Advocacy gewarnt hatte.

Mila schlug eine behandschuhte Faust in sein ungeschütztes Gesicht, und er stolperte rückwärts. Sie kletterte verzweifelt nach vorne und versuchte, in das 85X Cockpit zu gelangen, aber die Wache folgte ihr.

Bay drucklos machen. Die kleinen Worte blinkten in der Ecke der Cockpitoberfläche. Als die Wache ihr Bein packte, drückte sie den Knopf auf dem Bildschirm. Ein ganz neuer Satz von Alarmen schloss sich dem laufenden Lärm an. Die Augen des Mannes weiteten sich, und er kletterte von ihr weg, zur Hangartür. Er scannte seine Schlüsselkarte und versuchte, sie zu öffnen, aber sie war verschlossen. Er würde sterben, wenn sie nichts tun würde.

Mila hielt die Druckentspannung an und stürzte aus dem Schiff. Sie stürzte in den Mann und suchte nach der Pistole, die er in seinem Griff hielt. Sie schlug ihm wieder einen Ellbogen in den Bauch und er ließ die Waffe los. Sie hob es auf und trainierte es an ihm.

"Letzte Chance, rauszukommen!" schrie sie. Er starrte sie mit wilden Augen an und scannte seine Karte erneut.

Diesmal öffnete sich die Tür. Mehrere Wachen warteten dahinter, aber er schrie ihnen etwas zu und sie versuchten nicht einzutreten.

Die Tür schob sich zu, und Mila kletterte zurück ins Schiff und warf die Pistole in den Sitz neben ihr.

Sie brachte den Sternkreisel zur Sprache, ihre Hände zitterten vor Adrenalin und beteten, dass er mehr als eine Lücke aufweisen würde. Sie waren im Orbit über einer besiedelten Welt! Sie wählte einen Landeplatz im Westen der nächstgelegenen Stadt. Sie konnte das Schiff dort aufgeben, sich in den bewaldeten Hügeln verstecken, es warten, bis sie sicher war, dass Sybil und ihre Wachen aufgegeben hatten und darauf gewartet hatten, dass sie auftauchte. Sie wählte ihr Ziel und beendete dann die Vorbereitungssequenz.

Der Countdown begann. Sie spannte sich in den Sitz, als sich die Hangarbucht öffnete und den schwarzen Raum dahinter freilegte.

Sie drosselte und hob ab und ließ den 890 zurück.

Mila steuerte direkt auf den Planeten zu und schenkte dem Schiff auf ihrem Rücken wenig Aufmerksamkeit. Wenn sie den Runabout hochschießen, hätte sie sich keine Sorgen mehr gemacht. Es gab nichts, was sie tun konnte, außer zu ihrem Landeplatz zu eilen.

Sie stellte sich Rhys vor. Sein hübsches Gesicht, seine beruhigenden Worte, die Art, wie er sie gehalten hatte. Dieses Grinsen würde sie wahrscheinlich nie wieder sehen, es sei denn, sie wurde erwischt oder fand einen Weg, diese unmögliche Situation zu lösen.

Als sie in die Atmosphäre des Planeten eintrat, verschonte sie die Zeit für ein paar Tränen.

Vor ein paar Tagen hatte sie das Phantom gejagt.

Jetzt musste sie eins werden.

Fünf Monate später

Mila wand sich durch dunkle Gassen, hielt ihren Kopf unten, eine Kapuze verbarg ihr Gesicht. Eine Sperre ihres frisch kurz geschnittenen blonden Haares fiel ihr in die Augen, und sie blinzelte, als es sie reizte. Die grün gefärbten Kontakte, die sie trug, fühlten sich trocken und kratzig an. Aber zumindest von weitem würde man sie nicht erkennen.

Sie blickte zurück auf eine Ansammlung von Transienten, die sich um eine rostige Heizung versammelt hatten, und drehte die nächste Gasse hinunter. Sie hatte den Hostel-Sektor erreicht.

Es war gefährlich, so kurz nach dem Vorfall wieder in Tevistal zu sein, aber ihr gingen die Optionen und die Zeit aus. Ein Dutzend kleiner Jobs hatten ihre Existenz auf dem Weg dorthin finanziert, aber jetzt gab es noch mehr Belohnungen auf ihrem Kopf.

Sie war monatelang gejagt worden, fast erwischt worden, aber bisher war sie immer entkommen. Und das war der einzige Ort, an den sie wahrscheinlich nie erwarten würden, dass sie zurückkehrt.

Mila knirschte mit den Zähnen und ging die dunkle Gasse zwischen zwei Hostels hinunter. Eine zerbrochene Kugel flackerte und führte sie zu einem Eingang des Hostels. Sie drückte die Tür auf, und der Duft von Pisse wehte über sie. Es ist kaum registriert. Dieser Ort war nur halb so schmutzig wie die meisten Orte, an denen sie in den letzten Monaten geschlafen hatte.

Stimmen ertönte durch die dünnen Metallwände. Argumente. Der Klang von zwei Leuten, die stöhnen und grunzen. Ein altes Video, das auf Hochtouren läuft.

Mila fand einen unbesetzten Raum und ging hinein. Der Dimmsensor leuchtet den Raum aus. Der Ort hatte einen Schmutzfilm, der ihn beschichtete, aber es würde genügen.

Sie schloss die Tür hinter sich und aktivierte das gebrauchte mobiGlas an ihrem Handgelenk. Ihr Hacking-Programm hat die Aktivierung des RoomTab schnell erledigt. Die Lichter und die Energie kamen als Reaktion an, und sie zog ihren Mobi weg. Es würde so lange dauern, bis sie ihr Programm wieder laufen ließ. Keine Creds erforderlich. Was gut war, denn sie hatte nicht mehr viele übrig.

Ein Blick in den nun gut beleuchteten Raum brachte eine Flut von Erinnerungen zurück. Der Schmerz ging mit ihm einher und belastete Mila. Sie sank auf die schmutzige Matratze.

Sie und Rhys hatten das Phantom einmal in einen Raum wie diesen verfolgt.

Mila tat etwas, was sie seit Wochen nicht mehr getan hatte. Sie brachte die Nachrichtensuche, die sie in ihrem mobiGlas gespeichert hatte, auf, um zu sehen, ob sich seit ihrer letzten Überprüfung etwas geändert hatte.

PHAN PHARMACEUTICAL CEO WIRD UNTERSUCHT

Sie beobachtete das Video von Caseys Vater, der mit ausgeschaltetem Ton verhaftet wurde. Owen Phans Gesicht war das gleiche königliche Gesicht, an das sie sich als Kind erinnerte. Als Mila zum ersten Mal gehört hatte, dass die Wahrheit über die biologischen Waffen ausgelaufen war, war es eine Erleichterung zu erfahren, dass Casey zumindest die Wahrheit darüber gesagt hatte. Und noch wichtiger war, dass Milas Mutter völlig frei von dem Bruchskandal gehalten worden war. Zu wissen, dass Phan keine Waffen mehr herstellen würde, war der einzige Lichtschimmer in diesen letzten dunklen Tagen.

Fast ohne nachzudenken, stieß Mila auf eine andere archivierte Nachrichtenstory.

Ein Bild von ihr selbst blitzte vor ihr in der Luft auf. Oder zumindest, wie Mila früher aussah. Es war das Foto, das die Advocacy für ihr Kopfgeld benutzt hatte.

EVONY SALINAS ANGEKLAGT WEGEN HILFE UND BEGÜNSTIGUNG DES "PHANTOMS".

Der Artikel spekulierte über die Art des Terrorismus, über die Beziehung zwischen Milas Eltern und Phan Pharmaceuticals und über die Motive von Mila. Selbst mit der Offenbarung der biologischen Waffen hatte sie nichts an der Tatsache geändert, dass das Phantom monatelang verheerende Schäden angerichtet hatte. Casey und der Verband Mila galten immer noch als Kriminelle.

Der Artikel hatte auch ein kleines Foto von Rhys enthalten. Er war wegen Verhörs festgehalten worden, aber ohne Beweise für ein Fehlverhalten seinerseits war er schließlich freigelassen worden.

Mila hat die letzte Zeile noch einmal gelesen.

Evony Mila Salinas ist immer noch auf freiem Fuß, mit mehreren Kopfgeldern auf ihrem Kopf für Verbrechen, die von kleinem Diebstahl bis hin zum Terrorismus reichen.

Sie scannte wieder hoch, um Rhys' Gesicht noch einmal zu sehen, aber es war wie ein Messer durch ihr Herz. Sie hat die Mobi ausgeschaltet.

Sie musste schnell in das Gebiet von Xi'an gelangen, und sie wusste nur von einer Frau, die sie dorthin bringen konnte. Sybil.

Aber sie war nicht in der Lage, etwas nützliches über die Frau herauszufinden. Sie wusste nur, dass sie mit dem Hausierer verwandt war, der am Pilgertag auf dem Marktplatz von Tevistal Schmuck verkauft hatte. Das ist es also, was Mila finden musste. Sybil könnte ihre Wachen Mila nach dem, was sie getan hatte, sofort erschießen lassen.... aber Sybil hatte Casey geholfen - für einen Preis.

Und Mila war verzweifelt genug, um fast jeden Preis zu zahlen, den Sybil verlangte. Sie hatte vor ein paar Wochen erfahren, dass Rhys sie jagte, versuchte, sie hereinzubringen, dass ihre Zeit abläuft.

Vielleicht... vielleicht, wenn er sie in Xi'an Gebiet wiederfinden würde, frei von Advocacy-Einfluss, könnte sie es erklären. Sie konnte auf seine Vergebung hoffen, wenn auch nicht mehr.

Aber bis dahin war sie ein Phantom. Sie tat, was sie tun musste, um frei zu bleiben.

DAS ENDE

Writer’s Note: Phantom Bounty: Part Four was published originally in Jump Point 3.4. Read Part One here, Part Two here, and Part Three here.
Mila was a traitor. She’d risked her career as a bounty hunter . . . had betrayed her partner, Rhys, to free Casey. Was it all worth it? Had Casey been telling the truth about her father developing bioweapons?

Mila snuck a glance at Casey as she returned to the co-pilot’s seat. The dark-haired woman offered her a small smile, then harnessed herself into her seat. Mila’s childhood friend. A terrorist.

The emptiness of space loomed before them, nothing but darkness beyond Devana’s forward screen. Mila gripped the controls so tightly her hands ached.

“I’ve managed to mask our signal,” Casey said, “but it’s a temporary fix only. We have a half hour. No more.”

“How . . . ?”

Casey explained the method, and Mila shook her head, partially in awe of the hacking skills required, partially in dismay over the length of the resulting prison sentence if she were caught at it.

“Could have used that trick myself a time or two,” Mila muttered.

“Not if you want to stay on the right side of the law.” Casey cleared her throat. “After this is over. Of course. Just picked up the signal on the scanner. Gotta be my contact. The ship’s waiting a few clicks from the jump point.”

Mila’s hands grew tighter on the controls as she glanced at the scanner screen. Space normally held the dual promises of endless possibility and endless danger . . . but today it held only danger for her.

“Any sign of the Advocacy?” Mila asked tightly.

“Not yet. But . . . they’ll follow. They always do. Get me to my contact, and we’ll execute the plan.”

Mila tried to calm her breathing, but her heart was racing, and she couldn’t make it stop. It was supposed to be simple. Mila would pull up next to the contact ship; Casey would knock her out, then transfer to the other ship. When Rhys and the Advocacy found Mila, she’d tell them Casey took her ship and ran with it. Then everything could go back to normal. Or almost normal. Would Rhys believe the lie? Could she lie to him?

This was stupid. So stupid. She’d acted rashly. There was no way she could lie well enough to convince the Advocacy and Rhys that Casey had somehow escaped the containment pod, overpowered her, and then locked her inside. But Mila didn’t have another solution.

“Straight ahead.” Casey plotted new coordinates, and Mila followed the trajectory.

A long, sleek yacht came into view in front of them. A few thin lights gleamed along the length of the 890’s hull. The owner of this ship had plenty of money; Casey’s contact was the real deal.

“Freelancer,” came a voice over the comm. “State your business.”

Casey replied, “Tell S Whispering Wind approaches.”

“Around which sun does the finest planet orbit?”

“Ilios.”

Mila’s heart skipped a beat and she slammed a hand over the comm, silencing it. “Ilios,” she hissed. “Like the project?”

Casey’s brows rose for a split second, then her expression smoothed. “Exactly like that.”

“I thought you destroyed all that data.”

“S has cleared you for docking,” the comm interrupted, “but we’ll need to scan you at close range.”

Casey pushed Mila’s hand out of the way and hit the comms. “Roger that.”

“Tell me what’s going on,” Mila hissed. “What is this about Ilios?”

Casey sighed. “I can’t tell you about S. Or Ilios. If I did, I’d have to kill you.”

Mila tensed in her seat. There was no hint of humor in Casey’s voice. None. She was serious.

“I risked everything for you!”

“Look . . . all I can say is that People First has friends in high places. They support the cause. But not all friends are created equal. Many do things . . . for their own reasons. And can be persuaded to help if you offer the right terms.”

Mila pulled the ship up beside the much longer 890. “This contact is connected with People First? And what were her terms for you, to get you out of here and betray PF?”

The 890 commed them before Casey could answer. “We detect two life signs in the Freelancer. S says you were supposed to come alone.”

“I needed help getting here,” Casey replied tersely.

“S says both of you must board. Or we leave.”

Casey glanced at Mila with a veiled expression, “I’m sorry to drag you into this. But we both have to go over there.”

“No.” Panic rushed through Mila, and she tightened her grip on the stick. “No way. That wasn’t the deal. You go over. I stay here. Or I’m leaving.”

“Evony.”

“Don’t call me that,” she said through gritted teeth. “My name is Mila now.”

“Mila,” Casey’s voice was low, soothing. “How do you think it’ll look if we fly away now? They’ll shoot us out of existence and jump without a glance back. You have to go over there. I’ll make sure S sends you back here.”

“How will you make sure?”

“I just will. Now suit up. We’re wasting too much time. S definitely won’t be happy if the Advocacy shows up at her door. But I’m pretty sure you understand that.” Casey left her seat and headed back to suit up herself.

Mila stared at the yacht, trying to decide if she could outmaneuver it and escape. But then what? She had to get rid of Casey, not keep her on board. She let out a frustrated sigh, unbuckled, and headed back to her gear. She ignored Casey, not meeting her gaze.

Her injured shoulder, shot by Casey, cried out in pain as she pulled her suit up. She slapped a new numbing patch on it and continued dressing. As she closed the suit up, her hand touched her necklace.

Mila’s heart twisted as she pulled the bronze token over her head. She stared down at it, at the infinity symbol, the special iridescent “good luck” stones dangling from it, and a new wave of regret washed over her.

Rhys had spent some of their last creds on this. To make her happy. Mila took the necklace and tucked it in the space between the bunk and the wall. She didn’t deserve it. And it hadn’t brought her good luck anyway, had it?

When Mila got back to the cargo hold, Casey was suited up, her helmet under one arm.

“Ready?”

“Yeah,” Mila mumbled.

They both latched their helmets on, then Mila depressurized the cargo hold and opened the back ramp. She and Casey pushed off the ramp and drifted toward the 890’s rear lift. When they were inside the empty space, the cage lifted under them, and artificial gravity gently resumed. A light turned green above them, and Casey took off her helmet. Mila did the same.

They stared at the double doors before them, waiting in tense silence.

The doors finally slid open, revealing a broad-shouldered man in a dark grey flight suit. “S will see you now.”

The man stepped into the lift, one hand gripping a pistol, and gestured for Mila and Casey to enter the ship.

Mila squared her shoulders and met the man’s hard glare with one of her own. She wouldn’t be afraid of these thugs. She’d faced off against dozens of wanted criminals and come out on top. She could do it again.

Another pair of guards met them in the next corridor where it widened. One of them patted Casey and Mila down and removed their mobiGlas as the other kept his gun trained on them. When they were satisfied, they led them down the corridor and into a well decorated lounge.

Mila’s eyes darted around. The lounge was on two decks, and more guards looked down at them from behind the rail of the upper deck. By the taste displayed here, Casey’s contact was old money. It could have been owned by Mila’s parents or any of their friends on Terra. Silk panels from Rihlah, famous Terran brocade applied to the benches, a delicate glass and metallic table at the center, and a very impractical glass chandelier hanging from the middle of the ceiling. Iridescent stones decorated the chandelier, and Mila’s hand almost went to the spot where her good luck necklace used to be. They looked just like the stones on it.

Two more guards entered, bringing the total to five on the main deck. Mila’s lips parted as a woman, apparently the mysterious ‘S,’ walked in behind them.

It was the woman from the market stall where Rhys had purchased her necklace.

Mila did a double take. No . . . there were differences. This S was petite, with space-black hair and light blue eyes, just like the woman at the stall. But the woman before her wore a well-tailored suit and robe, not loose skirts. And her hair wasn’t done up in braids, and she didn’t have a nose ring. She looked more . . . well-preserved — her skin smooth, a product of youth treatments. This was not the same woman . . . but Mila would be willing to bet they had some relation to each other.

The woman walked up to them with a smile, and exchanged kisses on the cheek with Casey.

“Brought a friend?” she asked, raising a brow at Mila.

“Like I said. I needed a ride.”

“And who is this?”

Mila didn’t answer, just tried to keep her expression blank. She couldn’t let this woman know she knew anything about her.

“She’s just an old friend of mine,” Casey said, her voice light.

The woman’s eyes darkened, her polite demeanor fading a fraction. She gestured to one of the guards.

“Come with me, Elaine. Let us talk over here.”

Casey followed her to an ottoman near the center of the room, while the guard grabbed Mila’s arm and pulled her to the edge of the space and out of earshot of Casey and S’s quiet conversation. Did S know who Casey was originally? She’d called her Elaine, the name she’d used on Tevistal.

The two of them engaged in an intense, quiet talk for a few minutes and then Casey lifted the sleeve of her suit and peeled off a piece of her skin. False skin. Mila went cold at the sight of it. Casey hadn’t mentioned any hidden data . . . or details on the price for her passage. Casey scraped a chip from the skin and passed it to S.

Casey was selling data, probably Phan Pharmaceutical data. Had she lied about everything? Was she just stealing data to sell to competitors? Anger started to bloom in Mila’s chest, and she fought to keep her mouth shut. All that mattered now was that Mila get out of this alive and unscathed.

Casey finished her transaction and returned to Mila.

“What was that?” Mila hissed.

Casey’s expression was tight. “She’ll let you go back to your ship just as soon as she checks my payment.”

A new guard ran through the door. “Madame. The Advocacy was spotted by our scout. We need to jump. Now.”

“Wait — no.” Mila looked toward the door they’d come in. “Send me back. Send me back now.”

S shot them a glare and gestured to the guard behind Mila. “Take them each to a room until after the jumps.”

Jumps. This was starting to get a lot more complicated.

“Let me go back to my ship!” Mila’s voice rose.

Casey dug her nails into Mila’s hand and leaned close, whispering. “They won’t let you now. Keep it together if you want to survive this.”

Mila lurched to the side, trying to make a desperate run back out to her ship.

The guards closed in on her, grabbed both her arms, and dragged her the other way. She went limp, no longer fighting it as the realization of what had happened sunk in.

They took her up a flight of stairs and opened the first door they came to, pushing her inside.

“Harness up. We’ll be jumping soon,” one of the guards said.

The door slid closed and she heard the lock engage. Mila took a panicked look around the small room, and then sank down in the jump seat. Tears brimmed in her eyes as she buckled in. She’d messed up.

She’d always been able to get out of scraps before. Always. But not this time. She just kept sinking deeper into a pit that appeared to have no bottom.

The ship hummed softly as it powered up, and in mere minutes she felt the woozy sensation of the first jump. Another soon followed, and Mila’s hope died as they travelled further and further away from her ship.

When the Advocacy found the empty Devana . . . they’d know. They’d know she’d helped Casey escape. They’d think she was working with her.

And it would be true.

The stomach-lurching feeling of the third jump let Mila know her old life was over for good. Now she was a criminal . . . on the run. She could try to say Casey had kidnapped her, but why would she have? There was no good way out of this. And Rhys knew the truth; he’d known about their shared past. If the Advocacy pressed him . . .

Would Mila even get off this ship alive?

When the yacht powered down, Mila unharnessed herself and paced the small room.

Hours passed, and a guard brought Mila food and water. The reconstituted food tasted like death, like a last meal before the end, and a terrible one at that. She could barely wrap her mind around what she’d done — how much her life had changed in just a few hours. Then the locks disengaged on her door again, and she turned as it slid open.

Casey slipped through and quickly closed it. “The guards are busy . . . for the moment. This might be our only chance to talk.”

“You lied to me. You knew.”

“No. I didn’t. I’d hoped to get you back to the ship.”

“I can never go back now, Casey. Not ever.”

“Shh. I’m Elaine here.” Casey looked completely calm, unbothered by the fact that Mila’s entire life was hanging in the balance.

Mila rushed Casey and shoved her against the metal wall. “They’re not gonna let me walk out of here, are they? I’m an unknown entity. I was never supposed to be here.”

Casey winced with pain and her forehead creased with worry. “S — Sybil — will make sure she knows who you are before she lets you leave now. And when she finds out you’re a bounty hunter . . .”

“Well, I think I know something about her. There was this woman selling trinkets at the market—”

“A younger sister. You don’t say a word about knowing anything, understand? She’ll kill you if she thinks you know anything about her. She operates under the illusion that we don’t know anything.”

Mila backed away from Casey, feeling dizzy. “You lied to me. You’re selling data—”

“Not bioweapons! When we do jobs, we collect harmless, or even beneficial, research and sell it to fund our cause. But I’m funding my escape with it this time.”

“What is it? What did you just sell?” Mila’s voice rose as she spoke, and she tried to calm herself down, but her mind was racing.

“The formula for a medical treatment that hasn’t been patented yet.”

“How can I believe that?”

“Look, we don’t have time for this.” Casey placed her hands on Mila’s shoulders, forcing her to look her in the eyes. “You know about her family. She’s going to find out about you. There’s no way she’s letting you just go back to your regular life now. You have one choice.”

Mila shrugged off Casey’s hands. “What?”

“You come with me. I’m going to try to convince her to let us disappear together.”

“No!” Mila began to pace the room again. “I can’t just . . . leave the Empire.”

“If you stay — you just freed me and left your ship stranded next to a jump point. They’ll know you helped me. You have no other choice.”

“You think I don’t know what it looks like? You have to help me get off of here. Have them drop me off somewhere so I can . . . somehow make it right.”

“You know too much! About me — about PF — about Sybil.”

Red crowded around the edges of Mila’s vision, and it took everything she had not to wrap her hands around Casey’s neck and squeeze. “I helped you. You’d be dead if it wasn’t for me. You have to help me fix this. Help me get out of here.”

Casey folded her arms across her chest and glanced back toward the door. “I can’t.”

“You. Will.”

“They’ll catch you—”

“And it won’t matter to you either way. You’ll be long gone, hiding in Xi’an territory.”

Casey met Mila’s eyes and sighed. “Fine. Get yourself killed if that’s what you want.” She reached into her suit pocket and pulled out a translucent swipe card.

“Stole it off a guard.” Casey smiled ruefully. “This should get you into the corridor at the end of this one. They have a little 85X there. I know we’re stopping at a planet soon. Backwater, but plenty of places to hide. I’ll distract the guards for you. When I knock twice on your door, wait five minutes, then it’s time for you to go.”

Mila stared down at the card in her hand.

“Thank you again, for helping me. I owe you my life.” Casey wrapped her in a quick hug that Mila didn’t return. “I really am sorry. Try to be safe.” Casey gave her one last sad smile. “If you change your mind . . .”

“No,” Mila said, her voice breaking. “I’m going to fix this.”

The knocks came after Mila had given up on Casey ever following through.

Two knocks.

Mila grabbed her helmet off the floor and hugged it to her chest.

Heart pumping a chaotic rhythm in her chest, Mila waited through five tense minutes, then swiped the card Casey had given her. The door slid open to reveal an empty corridor beyond. She barely breathed as she gingerly stepped into the corridor and looked both ways. She turned right, as Casey had directed her to, and hurried toward the end. It curved right, taking her to a new door.

She said a quick prayer to the Banu god of luck that the room beyond would be empty, then scanned the card.

The door opened into a hangar bay. The 85X sat at the center of it.

An alarm sounded, and red lights began to flash in the bay.

Mila was sweating freely as she latched her helmet on.

“Hey!”

Someone tackled her from behind, shoving her down on the floor. She fought back, twisting in the man’s grasp until she saw him face to face. A guard, the one who had warned Sybil about the Advocacy’s arrival.

Mila slammed a gloved fist into his unprotected face, and he stumbled backward. She desperately climbed forward, trying to get into the 85X cockpit, but the guard followed her.

Depressurize Bay. The small words flashed in the corner of the cockpit’s interface. As the guard grabbed her leg, she hit the button on the screen. A whole new set of alarms joined the ongoing din. The man’s eyes widened, and he scrambled away from her, toward the hangar door. He scanned his key card, trying to make it open, but it was sealed shut. He would die if she didn’t do something.

Mila paused the depressurization and lurched out of the ship. She crashed into the man, seeking the pistol he held in his grip. She slammed an elbow into his gut again, and he released the gun. She picked it up and trained it on him.

“Last chance to get out!” she yelled. He stared at her wild eyed and scanned his card again.

This time the door opened. Several guards waited beyond, but he yelled something to them and they didn’t try to enter.

The door slid shut, and Mila climbed back into the ship, tossing the pistol into the seat beside her.

She brought up the Starmap, her hands shaking with adrenaline, praying that it would display more than a void. They were in orbit over a settled world! She chose a landing site to the west of the closest city. She could abandon the ship there, hide in the wooded hills, wait it out until she was sure Sybil and her guards had given up waiting for her to emerge. She chose her destination, and then completed the prep sequence.

The countdown began. She harnessed herself into the seat as the hangar bay opened, revealing black space behind.

She throttled up and took off, leaving the 890 behind.

Mila headed directly planetside, sparing little attention for the ship at her back. If they shot up the runabout, she would have no more worries herself. There was nothing she could do but speed to her landing site.

She pictured Rhys. His handsome face, his reassuring words, the way he’d held her. That smirk she’d probably never see again unless she got caught or found a way to fix this impossible situation.

As she entered the planet’s atmosphere, she spared the time for a few tears.

A few days ago she’d been hunting the Phantom.

Now she needed to become one.

Five Months Later

Mila wove her way through dark alleyways, keeping her head down, a hood concealing her face. A lock of her newly short-cropped blonde hair fell into her eyes, and she blinked as it irritated them. The green colored contacts she wore felt dry, scratchy. But at least from afar she wouldn’t be recognized.

She glanced back at a huddle of transients gathered round a rusty heater, and turned down the next alley. She’d reached the hostel sector.

It was dangerous being back in Tevistal so soon after the Incident, but she’d run out of options and time. A dozen small-time jobs had funded her existence along the way, but now there were even more bounties on her head.

She’d been hunted for months, had been nearly caught, but so far she’d always gotten away. And this was the one place they’d probably never expect her to return.

Mila gritted her teeth and walked down the dark alley between two hostels. A cracked globe flickered, guiding her to a hostel entrance. She pushed open the door, and the scent of piss wafted over her. It barely registered. This place was only half as filthy as most of the places she’d slept the past few months.

Voices rang through the thin metal walls. Arguments. The sound of two people moaning and grunting. An old vid playing at full blast.

Mila found an unoccupied room and went inside. Dim sensor lights lit up the room. The place had a film of filth coating it, but it would do.

She shut the door behind her and activated the second-hand mobiGlas on her wrist. Her hacking program did a quick job of activating the RoomTab. The lights and power came on in response, and she pulled her mobi away. It would stay on until she ran her program again. No creds needed. Which was good, because she didn’t have many left.

A glance around the now well-lit room brought a flood of memories back. The pain came with it, weighing Mila down. She sank to the dirty mattress.

She and Rhys had tracked the Phantom to a room like this once.

Mila did something she hadn’t done for weeks. She brought up the news search she’d saved to her mobiGlas, to see if anything had changed since she’d last checked.

PHAN PHARMACEUTICAL CEO UNDER INVESTIGATION

She rewatched the vid of Casey’s father being arrested with the sound turned off. Owen Phan’s face was the same regal countenance she remembered from growing up. When Mila had first heard that the truth about the biological weapons had leaked, it had been a relief to learn that Casey had at least been telling the truth about that. And even more importantly, Mila’s mother had been kept completely clear of the breaking scandal. Knowing that Phan wouldn’t be making weapons anymore was the only glimmer of light in these recent dark days.

Almost without thinking, Mila accessed another archived news story.

An image of herself flashed in the air before her. Or at least what Mila used to look like. It was the photo the Advocacy had been using on her bounty.

EVONY SALINAS CHARGED WITH AIDING AND ABETTING “THE PHANTOM”

The article speculated on the nature of the terrorism, on the relationship between Mila’s parents and Phan Pharmaceuticals, and on Mila’s motives. Even with the revelation of the biological weapons it hadn’t changed the fact that the Phantom had wreaked havoc for months. Casey, and by association Mila, were still considered criminals.

The article had included a small photo of Rhys as well. He had been held for questioning, but with no proof of any wrongdoing on his part he had eventually been released.

Mila reread the final line.

Evony Mila Salinas is still at large, with several bounties on her head for crimes ranging from petty theft to terrorism.

She scanned back up to see Rhys’s face one more time, but it was like a knife through her heart. She turned off the mobi.

She needed to get to Xi’an territory fast, and she only knew of one woman who could get her there. Sybil.

But she’d been unable to dig up anything useful on the woman. All she knew was that she was related to that peddler who had sold trinkets in the Tevistal market square on Pilgrim’s Day. So that’s who Mila needed to find. Sybil might have her guards shoot Mila on sight after what she’d done . . . but Sybil had helped Casey — for a price.

And Mila was desperate enough to pay just about any price Sybil asked. She’d learned a few weeks ago that Rhys was hunting her down, trying to bring her in, that her time was running out.

Maybe . . . maybe if he did find her again in Xi’an territory, free of Advocacy influence, she could explain. She could hope for his forgiveness, if nothing more.

But until then, she’d be a Phantom. Doing what she needed to stay free.

THE END