Free Being of the Field by Traci Harding

guys.’ Taren wandered back to the doorway in a daze.
    ‘What’s the matter?’ Zeven headed her off. ‘Why are you so interested in departures?’
    ‘Where is Lucian?’ Taren needed to see him yesterday.
    ‘I’m here.’ He walked in with Kassa in tow. ‘You need to speak with me, I believe.’ He motioned to Kassa, who’d passed on the message.
    ‘I haven’t told him anything,’ she said, letting Taren know Kassa had left that pleasure to her.
    ‘My office.’ Lucian led off, and Kassa served Taren a smile of reassurance as they both fell in behind him.
    Zeven wanted to follow them and find out what had everyone so excited, but he’d not been invited so he decided to grab a sandwich and see what he could discover about the missing pod.

CHAPTER 5
BEARER OF BAD NEWS
    ‘Okay, Taren, you have my undivided attention.’ Lucian reclined comfortably in his desk chair, appearing eager to be enlightened. Kassa had taken a seat on the lounge, but Taren was too full of information and theories to sit.
    ‘When was the last time you saw your wife?’ Taren began and Kassa looked at her, stunned that Taren would choose to begin her explanation this way.
    ‘Amie’s been analysing data from the recent dive on Oceane for the past few days.’ Lucian was frowning. ‘So, I guess the pick-up of E module was the last time I saw her…why?’
    ‘Would you page Amie and ask her to come to your office, please?’ This was more of an instruction than a request. Taren had to determine if that part of the vision was true or false and if it had any bearing on anything else that had transpired.
    Lucian detached his communicator, punched in Amie’s number and at the tone left a message, all the while never taking his eyes from Taren.
    ‘Okay!’ Taren slapped her hands together and drew a deep breath in preparation for her confession. She fixed her eyes on Lucian and let him have it. ‘How well do you trust Swithin?’
    ‘What do you mean?’ Lucian smiled but he was very disturbed by this question. ‘He’s my brother. What are you driving at?’
    ‘Yes, what indeed?’ Kassa echoed, concerned, and as the telepath focused on the other woman she perceived the memory of Swithin that was playing on Taren’s mind.
    ‘Lucian doesn’t know about the problem. He’d have a fit if he knew any of his precious research might be going astray, or that one of his team out there might not be faithful to his project and his people. None of the crew are aware of the spy, nor are they to become aware that you are seeking one.’
    ‘I believe I might be a double agent.’ Taren further shocked her company. ‘I believe I allowed a spy to steal a sample of our quarantined substance, because I was stupid enough to permit your brother and an old acquaintance from my MSS days to hypnotise me before I embarked for my stay on AMIE.’
    Lucian was dumbfounded. He didn’t know whether to start fuming or laughing. He looked across at Kassa, who appeared equally confused. ‘There’s more to this than I knew about,’ she told him, ‘but I believe Taren might be telling the truth about Swithin.’
    ‘What?’ Lucian was surprised by this turn of events.
    ‘And I know there’s more to that sample in the lab than meets the eye…best hear her out,’ Kassa encouraged.
    ‘All right.’ Lucian pressed his fingertips into his forehead in an attempt to maintain his composure. ‘How about you start at the beginning?’
    Once brought up to date, Lucian only had one question. ‘What has all this to do with my wife? And what is keeping her?’ Lucian buzzed for Rory and sent her on a mission to find Amie.
    ‘Hopefully, nothing.’ Taren was starting to get a bit concerned at Amie’s failure to arrive or communicate with Lucian and, clearly, so was Kassa.
    Taren had not mentioned anything about Kassa’s channelling session, as promised. She had only revealed enough to get Lucian interested in investigating the matter further.
    The chime on