Shades of Treason by Sandy Williams

Author:Sandy Williams [Williams, Sandy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Science Fiction, romance, space opera, military science fiction, paranormal romance, Sci-Fi, space urban fantasy, space marine
Goodreads: 25645010
Publisher: Sandy Williams
Published: 2014-12-31T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

THE SOUND OF falling rock echoed off the walls of the DFC. Rykus stopped in the thin forest at the bottom of the canyon and glanced behind him. Ash had stopped moving as well. He motioned her to stay where she was; then he eased to the edge of the tree line.

The cliff—and Ash was right, this was a canyon, not a valley—stretched toward the smoke-smeared sky. It wasn’t as steep as it had been before, but it was still a rocky, sharp incline. Since he and Ash had started walking, they’d heard a dozen small avalanches. If the soldiers decided to pursue them, they would have a warning.

And if he and Ash decided to scale the DFC back to the top, the soldiers would have that warning.

He leaned his shoulder against a tree and slowly scanned the cliff. No movement. At least none that he could see.

“I wonder if they think you’re dead,” Ash mused behind him.

It was a nice, almost believable fiction. The Coalition’s resources were stretched thin, millions of people were hurt and homeless. The pursuit force could have been reassigned to search-and-rescue operations.

“It would be ironic, wouldn’t it?” Ash continued. “The pursuit force declares you dead. You show up again later, maybe at your second funeral.”

After one last scan of the wall, he moved back into the deeper shadows of the forest. “They don’t think we’re dead.”

“This funeral might be even more spectacular than the first,” she continued. “The mourning would last for weeks. They’d name a capsule after you. Or a planet, that would be—”

“Ash.”

She stopped, eyebrows raised as if asking an innocent question. When his expression didn’t change, her shoulders slouched. “How long until the ambush?”

He wanted to say something that would bring back her light, teasing tone, but Ash knew the reality of their situation, and she’d never needed to have the truth coated with lies.

“I don’t know.”

She turned her head to the right, the direction they’d been heading. “We should separate.”

The suggestion felt like a punch to the chest.

“That won’t accomplish anything,” he said.

“I’ll throw the pursuit force off your trail.”

“We’re staying together.”

“It would be better—”

“No.” He took a step toward her. “We’ll keep a look out for the ambush. If a stone or a blade of grass is out of place, we’ll retreat and reroute. We’ll stay together, and we’ll keep moving until we reach the city.”

“I won’t make it to—” She snapped her mouth shut.

He kept a grimace from his face, but inside his heart flinched. She wouldn’t make it to Ephron City. That’s what he feared.

He reached for her, but she turned and walked away.

Rykus’s hand fell to his side. Ash’s armor was cracking. She was doubting her abilities, doubting herself. If she kept doing that, she wouldn’t make it.

He jogged to catch up with her. “A new sentient-class ship.”

She threw a frown his way.

“That’s what I want dedicated to me at my next funeral.”

A smile shattered her grim expression. Something loosened in his chest. With a hand on her lower back, he kept her moving forward.

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