Havoc (Dred Chronicles 2)

“Put your back into it,” Martine teased.

He leaned to the side to give her a look. “I shove any harder, and I’ll pull off the ceiling panels.”

She grinned back. “Men always overestimate their abilities.”

Tam, Martine, and Dred wrenched hard from the inside, and centimeter by centimeter, the boxes shifted. At last they had the goods on the right side of the blockade, where their people could use them. A pang went through him. What the hell. When did I start thinking of this flotsam as mine? But he felt protective of this place even though it was a cesspool, maybe because of Dred. Her inner circle took their cues from her, treating him like a person, like he was worth something. This was the last place where he should trust anyone; intellectually he knew that. She’d probably kill him if it came down to his life or hers, but the hard facts no longer felt quite so incontrovertible.

“Where should we put this stuff?” Martine asked.

Good question, since with the bitching he heard in all corners, looting might be a problem. Dred looked thoughtful as Tam answered, “I know of a storeroom where the electronic lock still works.”

“Nobody can hack it?” Jael asked.

“Unlikely,” Martine said. “It would require high-tech equipment to bypass. It’s not like an analog lock you can open with picks.” At their collective stare, she added, “What? I had a life before I ended up in here.”

Dred grinned. “Sounds like an interesting one.”

“I did all right.”

“Did the teeth come before or after?” Jael wondered aloud.

He expected the woman to threaten to bite him, but apparently she considered him enough of a friend to answer. “I filed them my first week in. Men were less interested in trying to rape me when word got around that I bite the penis off anybody who touches without permission.”

“I take it you did that at least once, to prove a point?”

She smiled. It was impressive. And startling. “Doesn’t taste like chicken.”

Tam was regarding her with new interest. “We must get better acquainted.”

“You serious?” Martine seemed surprised, but Jael heard the pleased skitter of her pulse. Tam had never shown interest in anyone that Jael had noticed—of any gender or species. Until now.

“Most definitely.”

“What was it, the biting? Don’t worry, I don’t have to chew all the way through.”

“I feel like we should leave these two alone,” Dred said.

Jael nodded. “Likewise. You stay with the goods. Dred and I will make two trips, then you can lock up, Tam. Sound good?”

Ordinarily, the spymaster would help with the hauling, but he seemed quite distracted by Martine. Right, then. Since the other two didn’t answer, Jael followed Dred down the hall to the storeroom. The low murmur of conversation started as soon as he stepped away; he could’ve eavesdropped, had he been so inclined, but there was no reason to spy on a personal exchange though he’d done it as part of a contract more than once.

“So that was interesting.”

“I’d wondered what rang his bell,” Dred said.

“Now we know. Do you think we should leave them alone for a while?” Jael spoke in a light tone, hoping the nascent spark between Tam and Martine would distract her, even for a little while.

Her smile was fleeting, and it revealed how troubled she was. “No time.”

The door swooshed open at her approach. Looks like the motion detectors are still working. She slid into the room and carried her crates to the back wall before setting them down gently. Her careful restraint, so obviously a sign that she was holding on to her composure by her fingernails, made him feel . . . something, but damned if he knew what to call it. Tension rode low in his stomach, like he wanted to pull her close for a few seconds, but she wouldn’t stand for it, even if he wouldn’t feel like an arse doing it. They didn’t have that sort of relationship, and he didn’t even know if he wanted it. Each step closer to her made him feel like he was walking on razor blades with a pit of spikes below.

“Let’s get the second load.”

The next trip went quicker, as Dred seemed driven, like someone would steal the supplies if she didn’t get them locked up fast enough. Hell, maybe she’s right. Tam and Martine were talking earnestly, though the woman wore a pert smile. For his part, Tam showed more animation than Jael had witnessed from him previously, and his heartbeat was a little fast. Jael stopped himself from checking for other signs of interest.

Not my business.

Martine turned at their final approach. “You ready?”

Dred nodded. “Lock it down, Tam.”

Jael expected that she’d leave them to it, but Dred supervised the securing of the storeroom. He tracked her eyes as she memorized the code. The door swished shut, and her shoulders relaxed. Tam stepped back, wearing a satisfied expression.

He turned to Dred. “If you’ll excuse me, I have some matters to attend to.”

“Mind if I tag along?” Martine wanted to know.

“Not at all.”

With a tip of his chin in farewell, Tam led Martine away on some mysterious business. Jael didn’t doubt it was important though, and beneficial to Queensland. He stretched, rolling his neck side to side. Then he flashed Dred a smile.

“Buy you dinner?”

Amusement flickered deep in her green eyes. “Why not? Let me get my chains first.”

After she picked them up from Ike, they went to the common room, much emptier than it had been when he first arrived. As Jael headed for the meal station, he caught fragments of conversation.

“I’m telling you, it’s a mistake not to jump on this—”

“You’re a moron.” The smaller man thumped a fist to emphasize his impatience.

The bigger one shoved to his feet, eyes veined in red. He had a fiery bulb of a nose that said he was a drunkard and on his way to liver failure. His knuckles were scarred from turns of issuing brutal beatings. “Let’s settle this right now.”

Jael saw the moment when the other man realized things were about to escalate. “That’s exactly what that merc wants. You’re playing into his hands.”

Jael paused by their table, flattening a palm between them. At the interruption, they both turned with vicious looks that faded when they realized he was the Dread Queen’s champion. That was a new experience for him; usually when he scared the shit out of other men, it was wholly due to his own nature.