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appeared in an open hatchway at the opposite end of the crawlspace. Are you
absolutely insane?
Another quick laugh escaped before she could suppress her excitement. She d done
it! She d thwarted mighty Director VinDerley.
Get up here now!
Why don t you come get me? she suggested with a cheeky smile.
If I touch you right now, I ll snap your scrawny neck.
Shouldn t you be plotting our new course?
He muttered an especially vile curse and pulled his head out of the hatchway.
Corry waited until she could maintain a straight face before she ventured
abovedeck. Flaunting her success was bound to cause trouble. She found him at the
helm, desperately calculating their options.
You couldn t have jettisoned the half-empty tank, could you? We re going to be
lucky to reach the near side of Temple-Tuttle and there s nothing there but swamps and
jungles. I hope you like snakes.
He flung the criticism over his shoulder without turning his attention from the
navigational screen. Temple-Tuttle, the spiritual center of the coalition. Corry had never
been to the outpost. They didn t need her smuggled supplies. But she d seen vids of the
planet s lush jungles and undeveloped wilderness. The occupants preferred a simple,
more spiritually centered life. They didn t ban technology. It was simply unimportant
to them.
There s nowhere to set down, he muttered. You ve probably killed us both, you
impulsive little fool. He suddenly reached for the safety restraints and secured himself
to the pilot s chair.
42
Rebel
He didn t advise her to do the same, but Corry followed suit. His movements were
frantic and fear hardened his expression. Corry nervously licked her lips and tugged
against her safety restraints. Had she been too hasty? Would he be able to land the ship?
She knew better than to ask. Her gaze focused on the vidscreen. Temple-Tuttle
rushed toward them with alarming speed. The ship groaned and trembled as the
planet s atmosphere battered them with forces far greater than the shields were meant
to withstand. Corry held her breath. She was jarred left then right before Ashton
stabilized their trajectory.
He spoke only curses. She kept silent.
Corry s hands clutched the padded arms of the chair while her heart pounded
painfully. She closed her eyes, whispering nearly forgotten prayers. She didn t want to
die, hadn t meant to kill them with her rash action.
The schooner hit a solid object and spun out of control. Corry cried out. The lights
flickered for a second before blinking out. They spun through the darkness like a
feather on the wind. The safety restraints bit painfully into her shoulders and hips as
the ship carved a new path through the external environment.
As suddenly as it had lurched out of control, the schooner jerked to a stop. It rocked
forward and back then settled into place.
They were alive! Corry let out a ragged sigh. She giggled, a spontaneous release of
tension. Perhaps a bit battered but definitely alive.
Well, little rebel, Ashton s voice penetrated the darkness, I don t know what you
hoped to accomplish by forcing us down, but here we are.
She could hear him releasing his restraints. What should she do now? She had to
get away from him or her actions had no purpose.
I can t go to Halley Prime with you. I told you that. You should have left me on
Borrelly. She didn t think he d left his chair, but the darkness was impenetrable.
All you ve done is postponed our arrival. I have no intention of letting you out of
my sight.
I m out of your sight right now. She couldn t resist.
As if at his command, the secondary power supply activated and emergency
lighting flickered to life. Corry gasped. He was standing right in front of her, his long
legs spread, his fists planted firmly on his hips.
Before Corry could guess his intent, Ashton grabbed her hand. In one fluid
movement, he snapped a cuff around her wrist and fastened the other around his own.
Let s see you get away from me now.
* * * * *
The private cabin has the only bunk wide enough for both of us. Ashton waited
for her to react. She was so easy to provoke and her responses were so entertaining, he
couldn t resist.
43
Aubrey Ross
Secure me to one of the other bunks. I am not sleeping with you.
They sat across from each other, their joined hands resting on top of the galley s
small table. Securing you seems to be far more challenging than I anticipated. You re
as slippery as a Chironian slime eel.
We re going to a settlement first thing in the morning. What point would there be
in running away now?
You expect me to explain what goes on inside your twisted mind? he teased. I
can t explain why you forced the schooner down, much less why you re so bent on
getting away from me.
What will you do with me once we reach Halley Prime? Her gleaming eyes and
tilted chin accented the challenge in her words.
That depends on how quickly you can convince your friends to release the other
hostages.
If they immediately release the others, then what?
I ll intervene where I can.
She indulged in a very childish snort. How comforting. I ll be sent back to Borrelly
as an inmate instead of an employee.
So you are employed by Corrections?
Her smile was slow and sly. Not exactly. My work is philanthropic. Borrelly is
centrally located. It made my& routine easier.
What was your routine?
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