The Phoenix Conspiracy

  ***

  Calvin had almost reached deck five when a scraping sound caught his attention. He let go of the ladder and tracked it to the observation deck. From the other side of the door, the noise could be heard in intervals, softer now. Like tapping on glass. He pressed his ear against the door but didn’t hear it again and wondered if it had been his imagination after all. He unlocked the door with a command override on the panel, and it whisked open to show a dark empty room with huge windows showing off the black void. Nothing stood out.

  He stepped into the room anyway, shouldering his rifle. “Lights.” They snapped on, and the door closed behind him. In the far corner stood the missing lycan, except now he looked perfectly human. Even the red of his eyes had softened to a more normal gray, and his brown hair and dark face looked almost ordinary. But Calvin knew better.

  “Aah, Captain, I’d hoped we could get a chance to talk privately.”

  Calvin raised the rifle and pointed it at the lycan, who bent—ready to spring. “Try it, Captain. See what happens.”

  Calvin hesitated. He doubted the werewolf could dodge fast enough to prevent being hit—and Calvin liked to think he was a pretty good shot—but what worried him was that he couldn’t fire enough bullets to drop the werewolf before his claws were upon Calvin’s body. And if he didn’t take John Johnson out, there’d be no second chance.

  So, with some regret, Calvin lowered his rifle. “All right, let’s talk.”

  The werewolf relaxed and stood up straight like a common human. “Finally some civility.”

  “What do you want?”

  “I want to thank you for saving my life,” the werewolf said with a smile. Calvin wasn’t sure what to make of that. A ruse to throw him off guard?

  “You’re welcome. Maybe you can demonstrate your gratitude by going back to the brig. I know I’d appreciate that.”

  “I didn’t really care for those accommodations, to tell you the truth.”

  “Escaping them was a mistake, lycan.”

  “How do you figure?”

  “Every man and woman on this ship has orders to shoot you on sight. Nowhere is safe for you.”

  “I don’t know,” he said coyly. “I’ve been pretty safe so far.” He flashed a bold smile. “The truth is, you only found me because I wanted you to.”

  Calvin raised an eyebrow. “And why would you want that?”

  “I want a deal.”

  “You don’t give me many reasons to trust you, werewolf. Why’d you give me a fake name, for starters? Mr. John Johnson.”

  “I didn’t want to come up on your computers.”

  “Let me guess … shady history, criminal background perhaps?” Calvin was not surprised.

  “Something like that.”

  “Withholding information and lying to me isn’t a great start for someone who wants to cut a deal. So how about we begin with your real name?”

  “All right. It’s Tristan.”

  “Tristan what?”

  “That’s it. Just Tristan.”

  “What are you wanted for, Tristan?”

  “Well, it seems the municipal government on Aros Five and I had something of a disagreement.”

  “Aros … That’s in Rotham space?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then I don’t care about that.”

  “What about the extradition treaty?”

  “What about it? I’m not going to pay attention to that. Firstly because this is an intelligence ship. Secondly because Aros is a helluva long way from here. And lastly because the treaty only applies to people.”

  “That’s cold, Captain. Why would you say that?”

  “I spent some time on the Trinity. The details of which are none of your business.”

  “Oh, the Strigoi attack.” The werewolf noted Calvin’s surprise. “Yes, I’ve heard of it. And your hatred for Strigoi is justified, but I’m insulted that you hate me because somehow you can’t tell the difference between my people and theirs. We’re no more Strigoi than you are. Those blood-sucking, deceitful, two-faced bastards, we share nothing in common with them.”

  “Maybe,” said Calvin, somewhat unsure of himself. “But in a few hours, it isn’t going to matter.”

  “And why is that?”

  “I’m going to turn you over to either the Imperial Fleet or the port authority, whichever is faster. Whether or not they extradite you is up to them.”

  “Which brings us back to the deal I want.”

  Calvin didn’t trust the lycan enough to make any kind of meaningful deal, but he would squeeze what he could out of him. “Okay, Tristan, you want a deal, so I need a sign of good faith. How about you tell me how you escaped the brig?”

  “If you’re good at cards, you know I can’t just tip my hand right away.”

  “Then why should I trust you?”

  “Because we have so much in common.”

  “We have nothing in common.”

  “Oh, come on, Captain. You think I don’t know you’re a fatherless bastard just like me? I might not know everything about you, but where I’m from, your Cross clan is well-known. Lucky for you I don’t care about petty blood feuds.”

  Calvin had no idea what Tristan was talking about, and he didn’t want to think about it. He didn’t know much about his own father, but it would fit his father’s profile to be involved in some discreet politics, even with werewolves. “Okay, you know my family history. That still doesn’t tell me who you are and what you want out of this, Tristan.”

  “All in good time, Captain. That’s our deal. I’ll tell you anything you want to know, quid pro quo.”

  “And you get … what?”

  “Freedom. I want to be set free on Aleator. No questions asked, no records, no police, and no extradition.”

  Calvin’s eyes narrowed. The werewolf shouldn’t have known where they were going. “Why Aleator?”

  “Isn’t that where your ship is ultimately headed? I think we both agree that the sooner I’m off your ship, the better.”

  “And no extradition? You know the Aleator government—if you can call it one—is neutral, and they don’t have to honor the extradition treaty. They weren’t even invited to the signing.”

  “I’d rather not take that chance.”

  “I see …” Calvin paused, then nodded “Okay, we can work something out.” It was a lie. There was no way he would endanger that many lives by letting a werewolf run loose, but he had to pretend he might—because he wanted the werewolf’s information. “But I want a few things up front.”

  “State your terms, Captain.”

  “I want you to go back to the brig voluntarily, and I want your word you’ll stay there until we arrive. And that you’ll not harm any more of my crew.”

  “Agreed.” The werewolf smiled. “And for the record, I didn’t harm anyone.”

  Calvin felt a chill. “Hang on, I’m not done,” he said. “I want to know how you escaped, what happened to the surveillance tape, and how the guards ended up in a containment unit.”

  “Oh, no, no, no, Captain. That’s asking too much. All of that is my secret for now, but I promise you—the moment you free me—I’ll answer your questions. I’m a lycan, not a Strigoi. My word is my bond. For now, though, I’ll surrender peacefully and go back to the brig, so long as I have your word you’ll let me go.”

  “Deal,” said Calvin, making a mental note to cancel the 219. “Now if you don’t mind”—he waved his gun toward the door—”the brig is waiting.”