Free Rebel's Consort - Phoenix Book 1 by KH LeMoyne

Aaron’s half-empty glass to his face. “Disappeared. Went to my buddy’s place. Landlord said he hadn’t been there for months. Like that Doc, he disappeared, wiped clean off the face of New Delphi.”
    Aaron rubbed his face again. The images of Babcock and his story faded from his vision but lingered in his gut.
    In the quiet chill of the cavern, he looked around at Analena and the kids. He brushed one knuckle over the tears on her cheeks. He’d never seen her cry. She cursed, she fumed, she planned, but regret and sadness, those she kept locked tight. “He finished with the Regents before any of us entered the detention camps.”
    “You really think that was his wife?” Hena asked.
    He couldn’t quite tell if she wanted denial, so the story never happened, or confirmation, so they were all solid in their assessment. He gave her the truth.
    “A six-year-old daughter,” he leaned forward, elbows on his knees fingers folded together, and hung his head. “Babcock confirmed the kid, the wife—whole thing before they got wiped from the records.”
    “Somehow he got free.” Analena’s voice was steady, though her eyes remained closed.
    “Yeah, somehow, nine years ago, he got free. Coincides with the riots back then. He started over, like you did.” He ran his fingers through his hair and stood up. “I’m going to bed. I’ve had enough truth for one night.”
    He paused halfway to his tunnel, and spoke over his shoulder. “There’s word on the street they’ve laid in new plans. For the camps.”
    “I’d expect as much after my last breakout.”
    “Nobody’s talking, Analena. I think it’s time for you to lay low.” He caught her shrug.
    “I don’t make the calls, Aaron.” Analena glanced toward the dormant vid screen above the far table.
    There’d been no messages since she’d extracted Gar. There might be none for months. That’s the way it went. But Aaron knew if Radar messaged, she’d go.
    “You know the way it works. If one comes in, I go,” she said.
    Yeah, he knew.

 
     
     
    Chapter 6
     
    “I don’t like this. We’ve never gotten intel from anyone but Radar before.”
    Analena injected a canister of coagulant into the pouch in her belt and activated the padding before turning to Aaron. “I don’t like it either, but the word from the market says they’re taking a heart tonight. I don’t have a choice. Look, even if security is tighter in the detention camps, I’m not heading there. This is out in the open. I can change my mind if the situation calls for it.”
    “Did you try to confirm with Radar?”
    “I can’t seem to reach the network. Not even from the market. But I scheduled messages to keep alerting him so he’ll know and I can have confirmation.” Acknowledging his worry, she nodded back to the kids. “I’ll be back in two hours.”
    “If you’re not, I’m going in to get more information.”
    “You need to stay with the kids.”
    “Hena is here with the kids. They’re more likely to do what she tells them than what I say anyway.” Aaron folded his arms with a scowl. “You don’t even have Trace ready, do you?”
    She didn’t want to explain that one. Her emotions were in conflict where Trace was concerned. Part of her felt terrified of the new feelings he elicited, the other part mourned the absence of his advance commitment on this mission.
    “It’ll be fine. If I get out with the kid, then I won’t need him because they won’t have operated.”
    But she wasn’t certain and that fed her conviction that she needed to practice her own rules. No silly worries about depending on others. She’d been running missions before Onyx joined her efforts and she would run them now. In spite of Aaron’s details absolving Trace of his past, the man had too great a hold on her emotions. A little distance would be good.
    Grabbing her pack and her vid mask, she headed for the exit tunnel. She didn’t say good-bye or turn around. The first would have worried