Rebel Read Free

There were other,
similar barracks arranged in neat rows.
    “Where are we? What world is this?” He
wasn’t sure why he bothered asking. He knew she wouldn’t answer.
The building was constructed entirely of gray concrete composite.
She activated lighting with a voice command and directed him down a
corridor on their right.
    “Why are you doing this? What do you hope to
accomplish?” More questions he knew she wouldn’t answer. “What have
I done to deserve your animosity?”
    “Don’t flatter yourself. You’re a means to
an end, nothing more.”
    “I realize that, but a means to what end?
How did you get mixed up—”
    “With what?” Her sharp tone made him turn
around. “Vicious rebels? Radicals? With people not content with the
status quo? I assure you there are legitimate reasons for our
unconventional actions.”
    “Explain them to me.” If he could just get
that damn wand away from her, the dynamics of the situation would
change drastically. “What’s driving this rebellion?”
    “ Revolution ,” she countered.
“Walk.”
    Ashton resumed his trek down the dank
corridor. She wanted to tell him. He could sense the emotions
seething beneath her façade. She longed to rail against the
injustice and validate her position, but something or someone held
her back.
    They entered a dismal cellblock. This
building appeared derelict, far older and more neglected than the
complex from which they’d come. If they were still in coalition
space, this was Borrelly. The other five colonies sent all their
criminals to Borrelly for punishment and rehabilitation. If a
criminal element controlled the rebellion, Ashton’s fate was
dubious at best.
    She motioned to the cell directly in front
of him. “Step inside.”
    Not likely. He lunged for his captor, aiming
a downward blow at her forearm. His head spun and his vision
blurred. She sidestepped the attack and shoved him into the cell,
activating an energy barrier before his equilibrium returned.
    “You really do think I’m a fool, don’t you?”
she snapped. He braced his hands on his knees and glared at her.
“It will take at least twenty-four hours for your body to
metabolize the sedative. You’ll be weak and slightly disorientated.
Any sudden movement will cause vertigo.”
    “Thanks for the rundown. I’d figured out
everything except the timeline.”
    The cell’s only illumination came from the
lighting in the corridor. It was smaller than his guestroom closet
and the only furniture to speak of was a flat metal bunk, devoid of
any form of bedding.
    With an impatient hiss, the woman touched a
flat control panel attached to her forearm and his shackles
released, dropping noisily to the bare floor.
    “Tell me about your mother. Why would the
premier’s wife have an interest in our cause?”
    He rubbed his wrists and watched her
impassive face for any spark of emotion. How had she heard his
comments to Palmer? She’d been dealing with Danette. Someone must
have prompted her to ask the question. He didn’t see an audiocom
hooked around her ear, but the panel on her arm likely controlled
communications. Ashton had seen similar devices on other
worlds.
    “What has your research revealed?” She
crossed her arms over her breasts, her smile more of a smirk. “Do
you know all our secrets?”
    The rebels must be desperate if their
actions had escalated to kidnapping. Desperate people were
notoriously unpredictable. His mother was more likely to get him
out of this alive than the executive council. Was it cowardly to
give his captor a nudge in the right direction?
    “Many revolutions have been won by the
accuracy of information as opposed to brute force. It can be more
beneficial to identify potential allies than to overpower
enemies.”
    “Potential allies?” Mockery sharpened her
tone. “The premier’s wife sympathizes with our cause? Theirs
must be a harmonious marriage.”
    “Don’t take my word for it. Do some research
of your own.”
    She was