Malin screwed up her nose. “Yep. I was here looking at scrap when the explosions started.” Her eyes darkened. “I was hightailing back to my ship when Xander grabbed me…”
“Kidnapped you.” Axton smiled at her.
Her answering smile was wide. “That might be a bit harsh. He saved me from a Rahl.” This time she shivered. “Thenhe kidnapped me and commandeered my ship. There were Rahl all over the salvage yard.” Her voice lowered. “And they imprisoned Trax.”
Xenia was aware the Centaxian in charge of the yard had been taken by the Rahl and tortured. They’d blamed him for Xander’s escape.
Axton pressed a hand to Malin’s shoulder. “He’s fine now. Without your help, we might all still be locked up and suffering.”
And some were still suffering, Xenia thought, watching Axton. If he didn’t find a way to let his guilt go, it would eat him up.
Malin drew herself up. “If the Rahl hid the Codex here, it isn’t going to be easy to find. It’s a big place.” She waved her hand at the rusted hulks of half-stripped starships nearby.
“We’re going to follow the map,” Axton said.
“Phoenix!” A deep, masculine voice. “What the hell is going on?”
“Trax, Axton and Xenia need to search the yard.”
Traxan was a big man, with dark hair and skin the color of deep space. A shiny silver implant was visible on his neck. His eyes widened. “Prime Saros. It’s an honor to have you here.”
“The honor is mine, Superintendent Deveaux. I heard all about the help you gave Malin and Xander during the attack. Without your help, Centax would still be under the rule of a dictator.”
Traxan looked both pleased and embarrassed by the praise. “Thank you.”
Xenia cleared her throat. “Superintendent, I’m Commander Xenia Alexander with?—”
“CenSec.” Traxan sniffed. “Even without a uniform, you have the look. Straight bearing and that sense that you’re ready to explode into action.”
She saw Axton hiding a smile. “We believe the Rahl hid an artifact here. We need to find it.”
“Yard’s all yours. And any help you need.”
Soon, Xenia was holding the Sync out in front of her, striding between the huge wrecks of starships, transports, and other bits of twisted metal she couldn’t identify.
Axton followed right behind her. “I can’t believe the damn Codex was here the entire time.”
“We haven’t found it yet.”
“I want it back, Xenia. I need it back in the museum.”
“Whether it’s here or not, we’ll keep looking until we find it.” She pointed. “Down that way.”
They were in a far corner of the yard now. It was quieter here, the wrecks more rusted and stripped away to almost nothing.
She bent over the Sync. “We’re getting close. Just around this last junker?—”
“Watch out.” Axton’s hard voice had her head snapping up.
Just in time to see a laser net rushing at them.
Not again. He dived, tackling her to the ground.
The net, its laser ropes glowing bright green, whizzed over the top of them.
It landed against a wreck, sizzling where it burned against the metal.
Xenia released a breath. “Good reflexes. For a politician.”
