ht was

like it had been run over by a truck. Every muscle ached

ed her e

e brig. She wasn

island. The sheets were black silk,

s. The needle. The fire in her

e

sharply. Th

silk, matching the sheets. It was unbuttoned at the top, revealing the

her neck. It

f bed. Her legs wob

she cal

le

ndows looked out onto the ocean, but the heavy velvet curta

ed to le

k-in, larger than her cabin. Rows o

a shelf and pulled them on under the shirt.

ran barefoot to the

it to be locked. To her shock, it

rk dome of a camera blinked red in the corner. He wasn't keeping her in with locks

hispered. "Wa

e button for the Crew Deck. She needed to get t

or descend

irror wall of the elevator car. It was

a fr

was on th

edentials. Beneath it, in bold red lette

ice was smooth, prof

ed armed and dangerous. The ship's management has authorized a total debt forgiveness bounty. Anyone providing inform

against the

, ruined souls, and debt-ridden staff, that wasn't a bounty. It was a declaratio

chimed. Deck

oors

e standing there with

, to hide her face,

lip, widened his eyes. He looked at the

and ugly, trans

or the radio

Isela w

to the radio. "Deck C elevator

nocked the cleaning cart over

n yelled, cha

e. A low, whooping siren

he service corridors. The air here w

orner and skid

t the end of the hall. They weren't sh

pun a

hree more security guard

as tr

hit a steam pipe. She looked l

didn't look like they wanted the reward. The

t was thick. H-Nation intelligence. "Plea