Free Breakout by Ann Aguirre Page A

said.
    Judging by the intensity of Duran’s glare, that might’ve been a mistake. Vost shook his head. “This is
my
responsibility.”
    With a quick twist of his blade, he ended Redmond’s life. Duran dropped to his knees beside his commander and stared into his comrade’s face. Dred didn’t do their grief the dishonor of looking away. For long moments, the two soldiers said a silent farewell; and then, Duran closed Redmond’s eyes.
    â€œRight,” Duran said, wiping his cheeks. “That bitch is dying. Point me at her.”
    â€œJael’s doing some recon. He’ll be back soon.”
    Calypso put a hand on Duran’s shoulder. “Sorry for your loss.”
    Keelah, Tam, and Martine echoed the sentiment, then the spymaster gave Dred a significant look. She nodded slightly, aware that he’d registered the trouble, too. Though she didn’t say so, dealing with the remains created another problem. Getting Redmond to the recyclers would be risky, yet they couldn’t leave him here. Hygiene and contamination issues aside, his body would also attract scavengers in droves. Without the aliens hunting them to keep numbers down, soon Perdition would be overrun by the mutated beasts.
    And that’s the least of our worries.
    â€œI’ll lay him to rest,” she offered.
    â€œYou can’t manage alone.” Vost didn’t seem open to discussion on the topic, and she thought it best not to reveal her hidden strength just now.
    â€œThen come on. You should be there to see him off.”
    She expected Duran to protest, but he apparently knew that the more people went to attend the funerary rites, the more chances they’d be spotted and attacked. Taking more casualties wouldn’t bring Redmond back.
So he’s a soldier first, a friend second. Good to know.
    â€œBe careful,” Tam said.
    There was a lot more unspoken in the long glance they exchanged. He was the only one who had believed in her even
before
she killed Artan. Tam had whispered ideas and scenarios until she internalized his faith. With Einar’s help, he’d also helped her solidify her reign afterward. Though she wouldn’t have imagined she could make any friends in a place like this, there were people she missed, Einar and Ike chief among them.
    â€œI will be,” she promised.
    They wrapped the body in rags, an indignity that made Duran clench both fists. But it was that or leave a blood trail. Once the corpse was prepared for transport, Vost popped open the wall access, so Dred could hand Redmond through, then she followed, taking up the legs for the haul to the recyclers. It was a long way down, nearly to Ike’s cache, and they didn’t speak more than necessary. Now and then, she heard Silence’s men outside the ducts, but they were
running
toward something, not patrolling.
    â€œSeems like your man’s got them plenty riled,” Vost said softly.
    She nodded. “He has a talent for it.”
    â€œYou reckon he’s safe?”
    â€œAs much as anyone in here.” Truth was, she wasn’t so certain, but she’d rather be roasted on a spit than admit any doubt aloud. Superstitiously, Dred felt like that would be tantamount to jinxing him.
    â€œWhen he gets back and we’re done with Redmond, we need to start the diaspora.”
    â€œAgreed.”
    Reluctant admiration flickered to life in her, partly because he
knew
that word and also because he didn’t dumb it down. She’d run across so many do-gooders who assumed she must be an ignorant meat-lump, considering the heinous nature of her crimes. But in fact, it was the opposite. Her crimes weren’t driven by deviance, passion, or bloodlust; no, they were coolly conceived and coldly executed. And as they died, she always thought the same thing:
    It’s for the greater good.
    Hours later, she didn’t feel the same as she shoved Redmond’s body down the