Breakout Read Free

Keelah’s objections, she lifted a shoulder. “If he doesn’t, he’ll die alongside us.”
    A wry smile quirked one side of his mouth. “That’s scant comfort, love.”
    â€œSorry, was I supposed to dip the truth in treacle for you?”
    â€œNobody ever has, can’t imagine I’d enjoy it now.”
    â€œThen stop complaining.” Though her words were sharp, her tone was almost . . . affectionate. That was the wrong word, maybe. She shied away from stronger ones.
    For an instant, he looked as if he wanted to touch her, but she would’ve knocked his hands away. She knew exactly where they’d been, and she didn’t want the decaying cells of a hundred dead men caressing her cheek. Exhaling slowly, she led the way back to where the others were camped out; nobody cared to separate after the bloodbath. That seemed like an invitation to let Silence’s tongueless assassins pick them off one by one.
    Dred found the survivors in what had been the common hall. From the holes blown in the walls showing tangles of wire along with scorched flooring, it looked like a war zone. Her gaze touched on the few she had left: Keelah, Tam, Martine, and Calypso. Vost and his men had retreated to the other side of the room, as if they didn’t trust their new allies. She didn’t blame them, as the converse was certainly true. Their situation was born of convenience and mutual need.
    â€œHow’s everyone doing?” she asked.
    â€œTired,” Martine answered.
    â€œHungry,” Calypso added.
    â€œI’d like to let all of you rest more, but we don’t have that luxury. Pack as much food and gear as you can carry. Queensland is—”
    â€œLost,” Tam said.
    Not what I was going to say, but there’s no point in playing the Dread Queen anymore.
With a wider audience to impress, she once would’ve fixed a hard stare on Tam and rebuked him for interrupting her. But relief swelled when she realized that was done. Considering it came at such cost, that was unworthy of her, but she couldn’t deny the truth. With only six people left from her former kingdom, including herself, there was no point in maintaining the persona. Vost and his men wouldn’t be impressed by such chicanery, either. If she earned their respect, it would be through good decisions and martial prowess.
    â€œAgreed,” Jael said.
    â€œI know somewhere that might be safe.” Keelah’s soft words were barely audible over the hum of aging mechanisms that kept Perdition in orbit.
    â€œShow us, please.” Dred wouldn’t have added that a day before.
    The alien female nodded. “Let’s meet back here in a quarter hour. Don’t bring more than you can carry through the ducts.”
    One of the mercs muttered, “Is she serious?” and Vost cuffed him on the side of the head.
    â€œGuess that’s our cue.” Calypso shoved to her feet.
    Walking down the hall toward her quarters for the last time felt so strange. When Artan was alive, this was the worst place in the world, but after she took Queensland, it became a sanctuary of sorts, space she’d carved out with blade and wit.
Now I’m leaving. It’s funny how so little can come to feel like home.
Jael’s hand on her shoulder drew her attention, and as she glanced back at him, she realized at once how dear and familiar he’d become, a necessity even in hell. A shiver went through her.
    â€œWe can endure this,” he said. “We’ve been through worse, both of us.”
    â€œDone worse, too.” She keyed in the code, and as the door swished open, he wrapped a hand around her arm.
    â€œAre you saying we don’t deserve to get out? Because that’s a poor argument for anything, right? I never heard of anyone in this life getting what they have coming.”
    Dred smiled. “Except Artan.”
    â€œThe way I hear it told, you did for