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The tension was unbearable. She wiped away a tear from her eye and sniffed. Nillson leapt to his feet, crossed the floor, and laid a heavy arm across her shoulders. He squeezed her against his chest.
“My dear, don’t cry. I will make sure the Vendu can’t touch you again.” He crushed her tighter and she fought her revulsion.
She sniffed. “I can’t say things here. I’m sure the EDC are keeping a close eye on me. They have threatened to take me into custody. They don’t think I can be trusted.”
“Of course, of course,” he soothed. “Let’s meet at the Bow and Tie. One of those quiet backrooms.” He eased his grip on her shoulders.
She fashioned a weak smile. “Yes, the club. How I’ve missed it. I didn’t think I would. I thought I had finished with all that. But, now, the way I feel inside, I probably need a good thrashing.”
“I’m sure one can be arranged. After we’ve spoken.” He arranged a time—the next evening. So soon, she fretted. What if she wasn’t ready to go back there and see all those familiar faces?
“I’ll be discreet,” he assured, as if reading her mind. “Come in by the back entrance.”
“You’ll be there?” she asked, meekly, her wet eyelashes fluttering as fast as her heartbeat.
He returned to his desk, seemingly losing interest in her. “Yes, yes,” he said impatiently. “Now hurry along. Tomorrow, you can make yourself pretty, can’t you?”
She slowly backed out of the room. “Yes, whatever it takes. I need this job.”
Nillson’s awful grin returned. “And you will have one, but after the Bow and Tie. It’s time you found out what I like to do at the club.”
She hurried down the stairs and out into the dusty air of the city. Her knees felt close to giving out and she wanted a shower, so she could scrub herself clean. She had to walk two blocks in the sweltering heat to where the car was parked waiting for her. She opened the rear door and slipped into the passenger seat.
“It’s done,” she said. “I’ve sold my soul to the devil.”
“My brave girl.” Her lover’s face was hidden in the shadows. He reached out and trapped her clammy hand in his cool palm. She welcomed the gesture of reassurance. However, she had to show restraint; they weren’t alone in the car.
“Tomorrow, at the Bow and Tie, it will all be over,” she said to the man opposite her. “He’s definitely after the governorship, Mr. Ramirez.”
The other occupant of the vehicle was lean and tall. He had bright eyes that shone in the dim light of the interior. When he spoke, his voice was deep and lilting. She’d heard much about Ramirez, the leader of a new political force in the land, but she’d never met him until she returned to Earth. What Ramirez represented was the future. A young man, like Jamen, with a vision of Earth that pinned its hopes on working with the Vendu. He wanted to draw together the fragmented city-states of the deserts under one governorship and utilize Vendu technology to bring life to the dry deserts. It would be the beginning of a new statehood. So many nations had been torn apart by war with the Vendu that only now were they strong enough to stand on their own without the support of the EDC.
“The senator’s bugging device is sophisticated. Which it needs to be. The walls of the club are thick—it was a bunker during the war. Are you absolutely sure you can do this, Miss Lester?” Ramirez asked.
She glanced at Jamen. He had been adamant it was her decision, although he expressed concerns that in his opinion, the club left her too vulnerable.
“All I need him to do is confess to something criminal. I’m sure, once he’s held accountable for one thing, others will have the courage to step up and speak out. He’s not invincible. Nobody is invincible.”
“I need irrefutable evidence. Something that will ensure those judges he’s bribed will not ignore.” Ramirez saw Nillson as the last block in his plan to unite the desert states of the Americas into one seamless entity. “He’s been a thorn in my side for too long. I can only come to New Phoenix incognito because his spies are everywhere, plotting my demise.” He heaved a heavy exhale. “Is Halos like this, Senator?”
Jamen, who’d not let go of her hand, cleared his throat. “I’d be lying if I say things are perfect. We have rebels and upstarts who either want to overthrow the Empire or believe it should have more power over the citizens. Frankly, they fight themselves as much as the Empire, and in doing so, they pose no serious threat. The emperor is determined to build a relationship with Earth. He will offer his deep regrets at the destruction caused by the war.”
“He will?” Ramirez didn’t sound convinced.
Paige spoke up. “I think the Vendu can change, sir. They just need time to adjust. The emperor is not a barbarian, even if they dress that way sometimes.”
Ramirez’s stiff demeanor relaxed. “Then, Miss Lester, it’s down to you. Quite a burden for an intern.”
“I’m not an intern, sir. I’m a hanjin. I’m proud of that title.”
* * *
The room was bare with the exception of a crate in one corner and a simple metal chair bolted to the floor under a spotlight. Ominously, there were straps on the armrests and legs.
“What’s that for?” she said, her adrenaline-soaked body quaking with fear.
Nillson, who met her at the rear entrance of the Bow and Tie and swiftly ushered her into the private room, leaned on the chair’s upright back. “This? Why, a little game I want to play later. A reward for you. I’m sure you’ll like it.”
“Like what?” she persisted. Somewhere outside, Jamen, Ramirez, and EDC officials were listening to their conversation. If Jamen thought her life was in danger, he would smash his way in and rescue her. At least, that was what he’d told her just before she climbed out of the car. However, she’d no clue if they could hear every word spoken as the surveillance device that was buried in amongst her hair seemed woefully tiny. The room was a fortress.
