Chapter 87: Repairs

  Rudy saw plenty of what he'd expected from the familiar Algreil Aerospace berth at the Etemenos Cup. A domed ceiling in the company colors, a series of gurneys so elaborate and slick they made the facilities on Wellach look downright stone-age, the Epee towering overhead with his crimson flame design freshly painted back on, a crew of techs with company patches on their overalls.

  He saw something he didn't expect, too. Or rather, someone.

  Chloe saw the surprise first, though. She cried, “Boss!” and threw herself across the mecha bay to wrap her arms around the big mechanic.

  Boss blinked at her. His rough face broke into a broad grin and he wrapped her in a bear hug. “Why if it isn't the young miss,” he said. He waved one arm in Rudy's direction. “You're still tolerating this red-headed idiot?”

  Rudy frowned. “Hey! I'm kind of your boss, Boss.”

  “And to hear that, Mr. Algreil, we can but weep.”

  Rudy couldn't help but feel a surge of annoyance. His employees got to hug Chloe and he didn't?

  Fortunately, seeing Algreil Aerospace's best mechanic again more than made up for having to see his fiancé hug said mechanic. Rudy had worried his own pit crew would try to sabotage his shot at the Etemenos Cup, but with Boss along, he figured he could trust them.

  Chloe slipped out of Boss's arm. “Principle's mercy you're free, Boss. We figured you got captured, or... or hurt, back on Wellach.”

  “You've the right of it, girl,” Boss said. “I got hauled off on the Reformer by that pompous ass Avalon. Spent a bit of time with your mother, though, so there's a silver lining. In any case –”

  Chloe interrupted him. “You saw my mom? Ellie Hughes?”

  “Felid lass, about yea high, fine looking figure and still has the face for it even with a few years under her belt?”

  Chloe looked a little uncomfortable at that appraisal, but she nodded. Which, knowing Boss, was why he'd put it that way.

  “That's the one,” he said. “She spoke highly of you. For good reason, I'd say, if a fella leaves aside your taste in men.”

  Rudy rolled his eyes. “Are you ever going to let that drop?”

  “Wasn't planning to, Mr. Algreil,” Boss said.

  Big surprise.

  “You think my taste is bad now, Boss, well...” She held up her finger. The engagement ring Rudy had given her glittered over her flight suit's finger. Chloe's eyes went to it before Boss's did. A shy smile lit up her face.

  Rudy glanced at its twin on his own finger and figured he made a pretty good match for her expression.

  Stolen novel; please report.

  Not something he'd expected to be smiling about. He'd always figured Otto would ask him to stick a ring on some corporate rival's finger and buy her out, maybe see her once a year at parties. Like with Otto and Alarie, minus the hate Otto seemed to bear his wife and Rudy had never understood. The best he could have hoped for was an actual oligarch, not just an oligarch's daughter, ruthless and crazy instead of pampered and crazy. He’d dated a couple of those. At the time, he wouldn’t have said he’d have minded more than dating.

  Now, he knew better.

  “That's...” Boss hesitated. Then, abruptly, he strode over to Rudy and gave him a thunderous clap on the back. “Congratulations, Mr. Algreil, and that's a fact.”

  “Thanks, Boss.” Rudy flexed the finger. “You saying so means a lot.”

  “To both of us,” Chloe said. She took a step toward Rudy and Boss, then, of course, checked herself. It seemed to clear her head. Stupid erinyes was probably giving her electric shocks or some crap like that. “But Boss, what about my mom? Do you know where she is now?”

  “I've seen her once since we got to Etemenos and those Federal bastards realized they didn't have a thing on either of us,” Boss said. “She came by asking after you and young Mr. Algreil. Pity I couldn't have told her the good news, eh?”

  Chloe's smile, and her eyes, widened. “She's free?”

  “Seems so,” Boss said. “Last I heard, she was staying at Mr. Avalon's estate. I imagine you could find the place if you ask around.”

  “Marcel and Chloe's mom?” Rudy narrowed his eyes. “How did that happen?”

  “I'm no psychic, Mr. Algreil,” Boss said. “She didn't tell me.”

  “We've got to find her, Rudy,” Chloe said, turning to him. “We've got to tell her I'm okay and bring her to the estate with us!”

  Rudy wanted to tell her he could. Hell, he wanted to go with her. It seemed like a good way to make a first impression on her parents, and from what she'd said of spacer families, that was going to go a long way toward making her happy.

  But he couldn't.

  “I've got two days to prep before the Etemenos Cup starts, Clo. We've got to start going over the Epee's systems and making sure it's fit to fly.”

  “But, Rudy –”

  “I'll send some people to pick her up, assuming she's not on her way already. She probably already knows about us, considering how subtle we've – I've – been.”

  “I can go myself,” Chloe began.

  “No!” Rudy shook his head harshly. “You can't. Third ring is far enough out of the public eye somebody could try to grab you there. You could defend yourself, but you'd have to use powers to do it, and once you light up for a fight, the Animus Hunters are going to be all over you. And, they'll have something to charge you with.”

  Chloe planted her feet. “It doesn’t matter. This is my mom we’re talking about.”

  “If you don't mind my saying so, girl,” Boss said, “your mother doesn't seem like a helpless little thing. She'll have heard about you, and if she's as easy to get to as walking to Mr. Avalon's door and asking after her, she'll be here long before you find her.”

  Rudy wished his chief mechanic said that a different way, because a shadow immediately crossed Chloe's face. “She hasn't contacted us yet. You think she might be in trouble?”

  A new voice entered the conversation. “I think she might be here already.”

  Rudy, Chloe and Boss all turned.

  Two people stood at the entrance to the mecha bay, flanked by Algreil Aerospace guards. One of the guards saluted Rudy. “These women,” he said, “said you'd want to see them, Mr. Algreil.”

  One of the women, Rudy knew immediately: Milissa Kyrillos. She waved happily. The hell was she doing here? It didn't surprise him she hadn't wanted to stick around her brother's people; a mob hideout couldn't be any kind of fun for an empath. But she should've stayed safe. Stayed hidden.

  The other woman, Rudy didn't see much of at all. By the time he turned to look at her, Chloe had already shot across the mecha bay and buried her in a hug.