Chương 31: Ch 19b - Safe

"Cara." She flinches at the hand on her shoulder.

"Cara," Draig says again. With his aid she lowers her arm and meets his indigo eyes. His face is so close she can feel his breath on her lips. He is breathing deeply, trying to get his breaths under control. His upper lip is bleeding from a small cut and the cheek under his left eye is red and swelling.

"You're safe now." She lets out a small whimper. Pain claws up her throat. His hand draws soothing circles on her shoulder as he takes in her injuries.

"Can you stand?" His arm is already sliding across her back and gently encouraging her upwards. With his help she rises to her feet, but her legs refuse to bear her weight. Slumping against his chest, his hand curls at her side, propping her against him with ease. She chances a glance back to where the man had been. On the floor his body stretches face down across the full width of the aisle.

One leg extends awkwardly up the shelving unit, at its end the green-smeared boot twists unnaturally to point downwards towards his head. His arms are pinned together behind his back. On his head, pressing his meaty cheek into the hard floor with thick unforgiving treads, is a shiny black boot. She tracks upwards to the boot's owner and finds Crathsun. His face is shiny with sweat and his chest heaves with heavy panting. He gives her a solemn nod as his thigh flexes, releasing a crack from the fallen man's nose.

Wyndeer steps out from the shadow beside Crathsun. Cara whimpers again. As she attempts to take a step backwards Draig curls her tighter against his body. She tries to duck and twist out of his embrace.

"You're safe," Draig murmurs. Wyndeer takes a step towards them.

"Nooo." The soft cry feels like razor blades in her throat.

"Cara," Wyndeer says, advancing again. She drops her weight, seeking to fall out of Draig's grip. He catches her and pulls her up firmly, holding her away from him so that he can speak to her face to face.

"You're ok. He's not getting up." She shakes her head. Tears well in her eyes, blurring her vision into a hazy pink. Her sob is strangled by her crushed neck.

"You're safe," Draig soothes. He brushes a thumb across her lashes, clearing the mix of tears and blood.

"Your throat is swollen. Focus on spacing out your breaths." He is crouching slightly, bringing his face level with hers, tracking her efforts to regain her composure. She flicks her eyes from his to Wyndeer, who was fast looming up behind Draig, then back to him.

"Wyndeer?" Draig asks in confusion.

"-sss," she whispers.

"Yes? Wyndeer?" he clarifies, his voice rising with anger. They are so close she can feel the ripple of energy that crosses his body in preparation for a new fight.

"You did this?" he growls at Wyndeer, twisting towards him.

"Uh," she splutters weakly, bracing against the spasm of pain in her neck.

"-oss," she tries again.

"Oss?" Wyndeer asks over Draig's shoulder.

"J-" she spreads the sounds over two ragged breaths, "-oss." Wyndeer swears loudly. ………. After he carries her back through the aisles Draig sits her down against the wall by the door. With a hand cupped at the back of her neck he guides her head away from its resting place against his chest to prop it gently against the wall, taking care to ensure the correct tilt of her head to ease her breathing.

"I'll send for Gask," he says softly. His hand lingers in its release, his fingertips brushing her cheek as he slowly moves away. She raises a hand feebly, wanting to delay his release and with it the notion of safety he brings. Her arm is too heavy, the movement draws a sharp pain across her side, defeated she lets it fall back limply by her side. She sees him hesitate for a fraction before he rocks back and stands upright.

"Where's Joss?" Draig barks at Wyndeer, the speed of his change in tone jars her from the residual comfort of his tenderness mere seconds ago. Wyndeer, pacing, muttering under his breath, shows no willingness to be disturbed. Draig stomps towards him, the vibrations of his boots ripple across the floor.

"Where is Joss?" he yells again.

"Back up." Crathsun cuts into his path, making it unmistakable that he is an obstacle Draig will have to clear first. Wyndeer continues his pacing and muttering, throwing in the occasional poke at the empty air in front of his face. Cara lets out a small groan and immediately regrets it. Razor blades stroke her swollen throat. She tenses as she rides out the crest of the pain, allowing herself only the shallowest wheezing breaths. Draig has turned at the sound of her discomfort.

His face is no longer one of concern but instead etched in harsh lines of anger. He launches again at Wyndeer, not caring when he collides with Crathsun's solid form.

"This is on you," Draig yells at Wyndeer.

"You let Joss slip by you. You let her be manipulated onto your team." The outburst brings Wyndeer's attention back into the room. As Crathsun shoves Draig backwards Wyndeer counters with a voice just as loud and angry.

"Me? I fully vetted her, she came with outstanding recommendations from-," he stops himself, gaining control of his words but not his fury.

"I don't answer to you. You're just another Trisec reject taking the next body contract for the highest price. What the fuck do you know about my team?" If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

"Unlike you, I do my homework on the shits I have to work with. I know she was brought on for this mission. I know you've rejected seven transfer candidates in the last three Feilan years and suddenly you accept her. No specialist skills, no prior hazard missions, no prior Visitor experience. I don't see how you're in on this, but you did allow your reputation to be trashed for it. What was it? A promotion favour? A debt?" Wyndeer lets out a guttural roar. This time Crathsun is blocking Wyndeer from Draig.

"Not here," Crathsun says in a low voice as he puts considerable effort into walking Wyndeer backwards and out of striking distance. Cara pulls her knees into her chest, wanting to make herself as small as possible against the wall and ignoring her pain to do so. Draig, having glanced down at her movements, swears loudly whilst dragging a hand roughly back and forth across the back of his head. The door is barely given the chance to open as Vheece stomps into the room.

"What the fuck is going on?" he demands, brushing Crathsun out of the way as he walks directly to Wyndeer, prodding his words firmly into his chest.

"Green," Wyndeer acknowledges, snapping his shoulders back and stiffening his stance. His broad chest accepts Vheece's angry jabs. Crathsun too, Cara notices, has immediately straightened his shoulders and tucked his hands behind his back. Draig shows a lesser deference, he has tucked his hands behind his back, but his face still betrays his anger, unlike the now neutral masks Wyndeer and Crathsun wear.

"Where is she?" Vheece demands, his gaze sweeping the room until he finds Cara huddled on the floor. His frown deepens. He peers at her.

"Why is it so dark in here?" he snaps. The strip lights dip then burn with a blinding white light. Too late Cara squeezes her eyes shut, a thousand glowing suns already captured in the back of her eyelids.

"Anything serious?" Vheece asks.

"A crushed windpipe, general cuts and bruising, possible damage to her ribs. A cut and swelling on the side of her head, needs monitoring for concussion," Draig reports, "I will notify Gask."

"A simple no would have sufficed," Vheece snorts.

"No Gask here. She can wait, I don't want an even bigger scene. The corridor is already collecting onlookers after your sprint through the vessel." Cara inches her feet closer to her as the clomp of boots sounds out in front of her. The thousand suns dancing in front of her eyes are dimming into fireworks.

"She needs-""Don't push me on this one, Pink," Vheece cuts Draig off.

"Green, as Argatta's representative I request her immediate transfer to IAAS under my supervision," Draig announces cooly, "Cara was subject to an organised attack, she's not safe here."

"Request denied, fucking arrogant Pink," Vheece retorts.

"This fiasco has demonstrated she needs greater isolation."

"Until the motivations of Joss are understood Cara's safety cannot be- ""Pink!" Vheece silences him with a single word.

"Joss was apprehended on my way here. She has confessed to organising an overzealous correction of Cara's insolence. She's a rogue Blue who was probably promoted too soon. We all know how unstable non-ranks can be as they transition from Cadet."

"You're sure Joss was working alone?" Draig demands. Boots stomped as someone crosses the floor in front of Cara.

"You're questioning the judgement of a Green?"

"No," Draig replies swiftly, adding, "If this was all Joss, I'm astounded by the incompetence of Orange Wyndeer." Startled at the impudence of Draig's remark, Cara's eyes fly open. Her shock is matched in the staccato movements of the group as they shift in reaction. Wyndeer's face is flushed a dark red, a vein pulses in his neck under his solid jaw. His eyes convey fury but he remains rigid in his stance with his mouth firmly closed.

"Pink, you are one more unwanted opinion away from being interned for insubordination," Vheece thunders, "I don't care what temporary privileges Argatta managed to get you. They will evaporate faster than a piss on the sun if I call in a favour to get your contract revoked and you down-ranked. No one will defend a body contractor, whatever Argatta's leverage with the Assembly is."

"My sincere apologies, Green," Draig says with his head tilted down to the floor. The stiffness of his subordinate pose perfectly mirrors that of Wyndeer's, but from her position on the floor, Cara can see Draig's hands clenched in furious fists behind his back. Vheece sneers. He takes his time to adjust his jacket, running a proud hand down his green stripe, enjoying wielding the power to force Draig into submission.

"It is clear to me that Joss acted alone under a misguided duty to Trisec rank. Cara is therefore safe under continued Trisec supervision," Vheece declares. He turns his back on Draig. His arm swings in small jabs as he speaks directly to Wyndeer.

"As a level seven restriction the Joint Visitor Programme cannot risk exposure through incidents like this. Wyndeer, you will remove the shards and Cara to a contained environment. I'm sending you a list of remote science outposts I'm overseeing for decommissioning. Pick one to relocate to, I will mock you up as my closure crew to cover the activity. We are close enough to Feilan, you will leave the Wixam immediately on a shuttle. You will remain there to complete the threat assessment."

Behind Vheece's back Draig shifts.

"Respectfully Green, Argatta will need to be consulted on this proposal," he objects in a heavily controlled tone.

"The directive is clear," Vheece snaps angrily.

"The shard investigation must be completed. Argatta already signed off on the extended engagement of Wyndeer's hazard team. The location of a Trisec assessment is not her remit. Argatta, not her representative, can raise objections to the Assembly about an isolated location but the alternative will be to house the Visitor on a Trisec base. Argatta can petition but she will lose every request for access to Trisec secure lockdown facilities. Shut your mouth and continue to collect on your contract while it lasts."

He stares down Draig's glower. The knuckles of Draig's fists are so white, Cara is sure he is going to throw a punch at Vheece. Draig lowers his head submissively. Vheece fights the curl of a smirk. Satisfied with his victory, he turns back to Wyndeer.

"There's a cargo door at the back of this warehouse with direct access to section 5. Take her that way, I don't want her drawing attention in the main corridors. I'll clear a departure window for you. Don't be late. Don't fuck it up again, Orange." He is already at the door when he pauses, calling out over his half-turned shoulder, "Pick a shuttle that seats seven, I'm sending Flavitt with you as your science liaison for the decommission cover.

No objections, that Blue hasn't the strength to throw a punch at a pillow." Shooting Draig a glare he adds, "To be clear. Wyndeer is the commanding up-rank at the outpost, and he will be reporting back to me on everything and everyone." They collectively stare at the closing door, individually unpacking the consequences of the last few minutes. Wyndeer recovers from the daze first.

"Crathsun gather our kit and round up the others. I'll take Cara down and confirm the shuttle."

"She needs to see Gask first," Draig protests.

"No time," Wyndeer barks, his eyes already darting across an unseen display between him and the wall.

"Outposts have onsite medical stations that will cover her needs."

"She's in no fit state to –" Wyndeer reels at him.

"I have heard enough from you Draig. Incompetence?" he shouts, "It was Argatta who fed us the wrong co-ordinates. Argatta who insisted on an immediate verification with the shard and that shit-show consequence. Argatta who said she would be too weak to be of any threat and must not be restrained. And Argatta and her fucking body contractor who keep interfering with Trisec procedure. There's your fucking incompetence." He is nose to nose with Draig as he vents his fury.

Draig remains rigid, his fists shaking behind his back. Wyndeer prods a finger into Draig's chest as he completes his rant.

"Shut your mouth and get back in your colour. Use your energy to calculate how much extra you're going to charge Argatta for your contract extension." A whimper escapes from Cara's throbbing throat. Muscles twitch in Draig's tightly clenched jaw. He takes a step back.

"Yes, Orange," he says coldly.