Ghosting the Hero Read online

  His arms returned to his sides and the loose rocks tumbled, but fresh air followed. She felt the easing in his chest as air came to him, and she was thankful that the paralytic had not worked on his involuntary muscle movements.

  She closed his eyes and withdrew back into his mental plain. She wasn’t surprised to find him waiting.

  His hug was just bordering on painful when he finally released her.

  “You have air. Now, we just have to wait until they come to rescue you.”

  “Will you stay with me?”

  She stared up at him. “I will be honest. No. When they send me the signal that they are in the vicinity, I will return to my body and they will help me integrate again. It is rare that I have been away this long. It will be painful.”

  “Is your presence here dangerous?”

  Simry pressed her lips together. “Yes and no. This is my job. I know the risks. Coming to help you was worth the risk.”

  He scowled. “That is my job. It is up to me to take the risks.”

  “Not this time, hero. You need help and not accepting it is arrogance. Don’t be a twit.” She patted his chest.

  “How long have we been here together?”

  She did a check. “Thirteen hours.”

  “It feels like seconds.”

  “That is the joy of mental interaction. I never know if it will expand or contract time. It depends on your partner.” Simry laughed.

  “As do many things.”

  She was about to figure out if he was serious or being a little flirty when there was a sharp tug on her mind.

  “N’kad, your ride is here. I am going to go and send them to the precise location. Be good and don’t worry if you don’t remember this. Few people do.”

  She kissed him quickly, pulling his head down to hers and releasing him when she was pulled again. “Gotta go. Nice meeting you.”

  In a bright rush of energy, she was pulled out of him, quickly sent the Guard ship the location of their target and followed the path back through the relays and into her own body.

  Simry heard Reset groan in relief.

  “She is back.”

  Riasa muttered, “As soon as she is awake, I am going to kick her off the central tower. Twenty-six hours. She has never been gone that long.”

  Simry opened her eyes. “It felt like thirteen.”

  Her throat was hoarse, and Reset was fussing with her bio signs and a scanner.

  “Simry, stay still and let me hook up the IVs. You are integrated but your body was working slowly, even for you. You are dehydrated and lacking a lot of nutrients. I don’t know what you were doing, but your tether was so thin that Finder could barely see it.”

  Simry thought of the kiss and her pulse speeded up.

  Riasa smirked. “Oh, that.”

  “I wasn’t doing that, but N’kad was in a horrible position, and I am waiting for confirmation that they have him.”

  “They have him. The notice came through while you were fighting to integrate. He is in rough shape, but he is alive and on his way here. Reset has a chamber prepped for him, because he has to go through full decontamination and quarantine.”

  “Good. They infected him with something.”

  Ri nodded and went to massage Simry’s feet at Reset’s instruction. “We are aware of it. He was the test case. His people are currently being threatened with the same infection.”

  “Oh, dear.”

  Reset chuckled. “No kidding. That is an understatement. We need N’kad to remain infected while we work on a cure.”

  Simry gasped. “You can’t be serious.”

  “He has the only living sample of the virus. If they had been able to kill him directly, I am sure they would have, but they didn’t think he would be found.” Reset worked Simry’s fingers and brought the feeling back into her fingertips.

  “Isn’t M’rin here today?”

  Reset smirked, “We thought that since you had risked yourself and your sanity, you might appreciate having me here in case anything didn’t quite line up right.”

  “The thought was nice, but I am a professional.” It was a little hard to feel like an adult with two women working on her circulation and rubbing her hands and feet.

  Simry lay back and let them finish. “I want a cookie.”

  Riasa chuckled and said, “As soon as you get to the commissary, you can have whatever you like.”

  Simry grinned. “Good. I have plans to scare the kitchen staff.”

  Chapter Three

  Simry was playing something that the Terrans called basketball out in the courtyard when the ship carrying N’kad arrived.

  When she paused, the herd of players thundered past her. She watched the shuttle land with the beacon of the familiar mind blazing brightly to her senses. She exhaled in relief and rejoined the game. He was alive and he was on Teklan. Reset could take care of all of the rest.

  She grabbed the ball and dribbled it down the court, heading for the hoop with focus. Exercise was part of her physiotherapy. Her body lost touch with her mind on some days, and things like this kept her focus.

  Simry kept playing with the others until her exhaustion drove her to the side of the game and another eager member of the Citadel ran forward to take her place. They didn’t really keep score, they were just happy to have something to do on lazy, sunny days.

  She glanced over her shoulder at the elegant spire of the new Citadel and tried to figure out where her office was. She could never manage to count up to the seventeenth floor. Her attention always wandered by twelve.

  “Why so distracted today, Sim?”

  Leodar sat next to her, his torso gleaming with sweat.

  She made a face. If she had been interested in him, she would have been over the moon, because he seemed to be fixated on her and he was well worth a second look. The spots that trailed down his back made Simry want to follow the line over his pert backside, and it was the same for the spots running down his chest. His feline attributes were mixed with stunning masculine features that synched with his main animal.

  As it was, she appreciated him as a friend and nothing more than artistic appreciation went through her mind when she looked at him.

  “I was distracted by the incoming shuttle. I recognised one of the occupants.”

  He smiled at her. “An old friend?”

  She shook her head as she thought of N’kad. “No, I think he is a new one. I am not sure though, he may be a little perturbed with me.”

  Leodar’s face went flat. “Why would he be?”

  “I sort of left him alone and stranded on an empty world.”

  He chuckled. “And now he shows up here? He must be a glutton for punishment.”

  Simry thought about what she knew of the Guardian. “I think he is a man searching for a purpose.”

  “Are you going to be that purpose?”

  She stared at him as if he had grown a second head—which she had seen him do—and she slapped him on the shoulder. “Don’t be stupid. I am not a field agent, not like he is.”

  “And you won’t ever be. Don’t forget that.”

  Simry was shocked. She got to her feet and muttered, “Nice pep talk.”

  He got up and tried to follow her. She hit him with a stunning blast from her mind, and she sprinted into the Citadel. If she couldn’t relax, she may as well work.

  “What are you doing here?”

  Rinway came in while Simry was buckling into her seat.

  Simry tapped at her screen with angry fingers. “I am going to run some systems’ scans on the unmanned relay stations.”

  “Those aren’t scheduled for two weeks.”

  “I know. I have some time today, so I thought I could knock out the worst of it.”

  “Do you need a monitor?”

  “I would like someone to check on me every hour or so.”

  “Done. Keep an eye on yourself as well. Those stations can be tric
ky.”

  Simry nodded tersely and gave the supervising administrator a smile. “I will be fine. I just need to be somewhere else.”

  “Right. Fine. Log your time and keep track of where you have been. Those stations have been cracked for their power packs, so keep an eye on any weird security readings.”

  Simry checked the furthest location and she nodded. “Will do. Off I go.”

  She settled back, clipped her monitor onto her wrist and neck and relaxed in the chair, sending her mind through the top of the spire and through the web of relays to her destination. She could always lose herself in work.

  * * * *

  N’kad woke with a rush of pain, sending the woman next to him tumbling backward. The Kozue warrior at his side gently pushed him back down to the table.

  “Easy, Guardian. You are on Teklan Base. You are with the Sector Guard.”

  The woman approached again. “I am Reset, and I took samples from you before I healed you. We will be able to analyze the toxin if they try to use it again.”

  N’kad groaned and put his hand to his forehead. “What is that pain?”

  The warrior chuckled. “My wife’s hands have a healing touch, but she is more about speed than subtlety.”

  The woman grinned, her deep blue hair shivered in a wave across her shoulders. “This is my husband, Mist.”

  “I am pleased to meet you. I am at the Guard base?”

  Reset smiled and nodded. “General Brodin would like to speak with you and offer you a position if you are interested.”

  He looked down at himself and was unsurprised to find that he was unclothed. “Is there something I can wear?”

  Reset blushed. “Of course. We had to put your body and clothing through quarantine and sterilization. The fabric didn’t stand up to the process.”

  Mist chuckled. “A suit is being delivered outside our isolation unit. I will retrieve it for you.”

  N’kad watched as the warrior disappeared into a cloud of tumbling vapour that left the room and spilled through a seal in the door, to reform on the other side.

  “He is...” N’kad didn’t have the right term.

  “Nishan. An animorph. He can take any form, but this is the one I prefer, so it is the one wears.” Her lips twitched in smile.

  “Interesting dynamic.”

  Reset grinned outright. “Oh, that is not the only form we use for intimacy, just the one I am most comfortable with.”

  N’kad blushed, as Reset was matter of fact about her relationship.

  “I see. How did I get a suit?”

  “Fixer has blanks made up, and when someone arrives, she tailors it to their measurements and energy requirements. Once you are dressed, we will take you for some food and you can recharge a little.”

  Reset cocked her head. “If you can stand, we can run some scans on you while we wait.”

  He nodded and slowly got to his feet, stepping onto the glowing platform as a cylinder of light ran up and down his body.

  “Blood pressure is good, temperature is good, you are weak but that is to be expected, and a little bit of the psychic contact is still left over from Simry’s visit.”

  He blinked. “You know her? I thought I had imagined her.”

  It was rare that he would imagine a woman whose attitude did not involve being at his beck and call, but he had still thought that Simry was part of his paralysis. Since he could not move, his mind had invented a woman who could move him. Apparently, he was mistaken.

  “Oh, she is real. She works over at the Citadel doing security sweeps.”

  “So, she is here?”

  “Not in this building. No. She is over at the Citadel. She hasn’t had to come in since after she returned from finding you.”

  “She had to come here?”

  “Of course. If she does a job for the Sector Guard, she needs a medical clean slate before she can return to her normal work.”

  Reset smiled brightly. “You are clear to leave isolation. Mist just arrived with your clothing.”

  She tapped at the screens and quickly signed with her thumbprint.

  “You are the chief medical officer?”

  “Yes. I had to withdraw the blood samples because my talent reset you to the optimal specifications for you as determined by your genetics.”

  “So it is as if I was never infected?”

  Reset nodded. “Precisely. So, you have no resistance to the agent should they try and infect you again. They won’t know that, but you need to.”

  “So, Emror is unprotected?”

  “It is. Nothing has happened yet, but if it does, we are the nearest station to it. We don’t often go into the Imperium, but we can if invited.” Reset smiled tightly. “Come on and get some clothing on. As fun as this has been, I am guessing that I am enjoying myself more than you are.”

  N’kad followed her out of the isolation cell and into the main medical area. Mist was indeed back with a block of fabric held on one palm.

  The suit was nearly a perfect fit; there were only a few minor areas that tugged when he moved. It was definitely more comfortable than his previous uniform.

  Reset finished her paperwork and grinned at him. “Now that you are dressed...lunch?”

  Mist smiled. “Please join us for a meal. She gets cranky when she doesn’t eat on time, and she has been working on you for close to a day. Your body had begun shutting down, so she had to bring you back one organ at a time.”

  N’kad looked at Reset again. “Thank you.”

  She inclined her head. “It is all part of the service.”

  Chapter Four

  Simry sat up and unplugged her monitors after working off her irritation for six hours.

  Rinway came to her and eased her back to the bed. “You were in there for a while. Your readings are a little extreme.”

  Simry snorted. “I feel more relaxed, so it was worth it. Seven stations cleared, and now, I am heading downstairs for something to eat.”

  “Do you need a hand?”

  “Just my cane.”

  Rinway winced. “Right. Give me a minute.”

  Simry tried not to use her cane unless she needed it. It was a reminder of her early years with a broken leg that hadn’t healed and a limp that came everywhere she did. During her first week on Teklan, Reset had healed her leg, but she still limped when she was tired, muscle memory took over so that she shifted her weight and staggered when she walked. Today was one of those days.

  Rinway brought in the cane and handed it to her.

  Simry smiled and got to her feet. The carvings were the same ones her father had etched into the wood when she was fourteen.

  Talents were not given medical intervention for any illness in her society. If the gods willed them to survive, they would and thereby prove their blessing. It was only when a hidden recruiter for the Citadel came through that Simry learned she was not blessed or not the way she had thought.

  Leaving old religion behind and escaping into a shuttle under cover of darkness had started her new life. Three years later, she had gone from Citadel Thoola to Teklan and was now fairly settled in her career.

  She walked slowly out of her workroom and headed for the lift. Today was no day to take the stairs.

  Simry made it to the main floor, and she walked over to the commissary. It would be awkward to get her meal with the cane holding her up, but she would manage. She always did.

  * * * *

  N’kad sat across from General Brodin, and he waited for the demand to come. It didn’t appear.

  Instead of a demand, the general smiled. “I would like to offer you a position in the Sector Guard.”

  N’kad leaned back in his seat and blinked. “What position?”

  “That of Guardsman. You are already trained and have control of a tremendous talent. You could save lives and help those in need.”

  N’kad rubbed a hand over his face. “I would rather take some time
off.”

  General Brodin nodded. “Of course. The Citadel offers classes in a variety of disciplines if you are interested. There are also some music, dance and sculpture classes available.”

  The sudden shift made N’kad blink. “You are serious?”

  “Of course. If you choose to take assignments with the Citadel, you can earn funds over and above what you make as a Guardsman.”

  That surprised him. “I get paid?”

  “The moment that you sign the contract. Equipment, uniforms and accommodations are included as well as training and weaponry. Citadel courses are offered free to Guardsman.”

  “How long is the contract?” N’kad was smiling; they knew just where to tempt him.

  “Two years if you are already trained, three if you are not.”

  “Do I choose my assignments?”

  “No. We choose and you go where you are sent, even if you are not fond of the world that we send you to. One assignment and then home again.”

  N’kad sighed. “I don’t really have anything else to do, so where is the contract?”

  Brodin smiled, flashing his sharp teeth with his horns gleaming in the light. “Here you go.”

  The tablet slid between them, and N’kad looked over the contract, noting that the Sector Guard had the right to assign him a partner. The partnership was not permanent unless both parties agreed on it.

  “What is this about a partner? I work alone.”

  “We rarely send Guardsman out alone. It isn’t safe, and we want you back alive.” Brodin smiled.

  N’kad blinked. “Interesting. Well, nothing here is objectionable.”

  He signed the contract and slid the tablet back.

  “Did Reset show you your quarters?”

  N’kad nodded. “She did. Reset and Mist have been most helpful.”

  “They are that. Have you met Fixer and Shade yet?”

  “I was introduced to Fixer. I have never seen a woman eat that much.” He chuckled.