Part 3 (1/2)
The silver speeder flew by, going at top speed. He had only a flash of an impression, a figure in a black flight suit with a s.h.i.+ny black helmet.
It had to be Flame.
Trever had to take the chance. He stepped out from behind the crystal formation and tried to signal the speeder with the glowlight from his utility belt.
He was too late. The speeder took a sharp turn around a gnarled crystal ten meters wide and disappeared.
Trever sprang back toward the rock, but the Imperial speeders had circled back and he was too late. He made a dash for cover, but one of the Imperial speeders peeled off - and came straight for him.
He'd been spotted.
Chapter Seven.
Ferus faced the alley wall. The blaster was held right at the tender part of his neck, and his companion wasn't shy about pressing the barrel hard into his flesh.
”Do you think we're stupid?” his a.s.sailant asked.
”Who's we?”
The barrel was pushed even deeper. Ferus tried not to wince. He was getting annoyed. He knew he could disarm whoever it was behind him in seconds, but he also knew that aggression at this point wouldn't get him what he wanted.
”Do you think we're stupid?” the a.s.sailant repeated.
”No. I don't think you're stupid. A little short on manners, maybe. But if I thought you were stupid, I wouldn't be here trying to find you.”
”So you admit you're trying to fund us.” The barrel angled toward Ferus's head. ”You are an agent of the Empire.”
”Well,” Ferus said, ”technically, that's true. I guess that sounds bad. But it doesn't mean I can't help you.”
The a.s.sailant gave an incredulous laugh. ”I should just shoot you now.”
”But then you wouldn't find out what I came to say. Why don't you hear me out, and then shoot me if you want to?”
”Because I don't have time to waste.”
Ferus could feel that despite his tough talk, his a.s.sailant didn't want to shoot him. He wasn't dealing with a hardened killer.
”Look, this might go easier if I introduced myself.”
”I know who you are. Ferus Olin.”
”I was one of the founding members of the Eleven on Bella.s.sa.”
”I've heard of Ferus Olin. But I've never seen him.”
”So you think I'm an impostor?”
”I think the Empire is capable of anything. I was warned about you.”
”By Dahl. Larker's aide. I saw the drop.”
He heard his a.s.sailant suck in air through his teeth. ”Larker only helps us from time to time. He's not one of us. And he doesn't know Bella.s.sa like I do. The real Ferus Olin could be trusted. The real Ferus Olin wouldn't work for the Emperor.”
”Things change. Listen, I'm just a contract employee. Think about it. What better way to find out how the Empire works than by working for them?”
”Are you saying you're a double agent?”
”Now you're catching on.”
There was a pause. ”What's the location of the safehouse of the Eleven?”
”Aw, c'mon. That's a stupid test.”
The barrel pressed into his flesh again.
”Okay, okay, not stupid ... a, not helpful? You know I can't tell you that, even with a blaster at my head. Ask me something else.”
”What was the first job the Eleven did together?”
Ferus thought about this. He knew the answer. The Eleven - back when there really were only eleven members - had broken into Imperial files and discovered the names of the Imperial spies who had infiltrated the capital city of Ussa. The raid was still a secret kept by the original group, because jobs were never discussed unless they had to be. If his a.s.sailant knew someone on the inside who had told him, Ferus could corroborate the information. It didn't matter, at this point - the Imperial spies had long ago been rotated to other a.s.signments.
”A raid on the Imperial files at the garrison headquarters to discover the names of Imperial spies.”
”How many spies did you discover?”
”Four.”
The pressure on his head lessened. ”You can turn around.”
Ferus turned. His a.s.sailant was younger than he'd thought, maybe a few years older than Trever. His deep, gritty voice rose from a thick, muscular chest. Thick brown hair brushed the collar of his tunic. He still held the blaster.
”How did you know that was the truth?” Ferus asked.
”I knew someone who was close to the group,” he said. ”When we started the resistance here, I went to Ussa and a few other planets to see if I could study a successful operation. I was able to get some strategy tips. Someone was kind enough to brief me on the first job.”
”Dr. Arnie Antin,” Ferus said. ”That's who you know.”
”How do you know?”
”Because you said your contact was close to the group, but not in the group. Arnie wasn't at that time. But she treated Wil after the raid - he had a small fracture in his wrist. So she knew about it.”
”Good deduction. I'm d.i.n.ko, by the way. Code name. We all use them - it's better if we don't know anyone's real name.” The young man grinned, transforming his features from forbidding to welcoming. ”I guess I should say welcome to the Samarian resistance.”
Ferus rubbed his neck. ”You sure know how to make a guy feel welcome.”