Between

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Approximately 1100 miles off the coast of the Neutral Islands, International Waters in the Central Ocean

On the small bunk in her cabin, Wren flinched and startled at the sound of a heavy thudding knock on the hatch across the room. It wasn't unusual that she would receive visitors—she had several times in the past few days—but it was quite early and she had only just changed into the Greenkeeper uniform provided to her. She jumped upright as the dog spun and the hatch swung open.

Natalie Lennox and the balding man, Craig Bower, entered the cabin and stood side by side. Wren felt her entire body tense when Bower looked at her. Although he'd never outright threatened her as Lennox had done, he was quite an imposing figure and not someone she had any desire to trifle with. Plus, she knew he was the Captain's right-hand-man, and he wasn't a regular visitor.

"Good morning Miss Miller," Bower said in greeting, seeming to recognize Wren's apprehension. He offered a rare smile. "Doctor North has informed me that the infection in your leg has cleared, and we are now free to make you earn your keep aboard this fine vessel."

Wren said nothing, but furrowed her brows, confused.

"The Captain's requesting your help, Miller," Lennox interjected, rolling her eyes and jabbing a thumb in Bower's direction. "This one just likes to make things sound more dramatic than they have to be, that's all."

Somewhat taken aback by Natalie Lennox's almost joking explanation, Wren tried to relax. Still, what could they need her help with? Did they want information? Had they allowed her to grow comfortable these past days purely for the purpose of making her easier to question? As the thoughts raced around her mind, the blonde realized she was only working herself up even more.

"What do I have to do?" she asked at last, knowing her eyes must be three times their normal size. She'd never been good at concealing her worry.

"One of the men in the engine rooms needs a set of small hands," Bower answered, sounding bored now. "And since you're eating our food and breathing our air, the Captain figures the least you could do is help ol' Mister Sharp get a little pinion back in place."

Not bothering to wait for any more commentary from Wren, the man stepped forward and clapped a hand onto her shoulder, directing her around in front of him while Natalie Lennox followed behind them. They wound their way through a number of corridors, down several ladders and a short, narrow set of spiraled stairs. Wren tripped coming off the second to last step, smashing a knee on the edge of the bottom step and in the process jerking herself free of Bower's hand. The MSO, evidently assuming she had done so on purpose, immediately drew a rather terrifying weapon and pointed it at her forehead as she looked up at him.

"Oh for God's sake, Bower!" Lennox spat, muscling past him on the stairs, shoving the muzzle of the gun away from Wren, and grabbing the young woman's hand to pull her to her feet. "You okay kid?"

Wren, taken aback by the normally trigger-happy security officer's question, gave a stiff nod.

"Yeah, just not used to navigating spaces like this," the blonde answered, her appreciation for the older woman's apparent change in attitude leaking through into her words. "Thanks."

Natalie returned her nod with one of her own, and then raised her eyebrows at Bower.

"Lead the way, Sir."

*      *      *      *      *

Several corridors and another set of spiraled stairs later, Wren, Craig Bower, and Natalie Lennox arrived outside a hatch labeled Engine Room 4. Even through the thick metal of the doorway Wren could hear a great clattering racket that would surely deafen her. She was used to noise—Sector 7's business district had always been loud with machinery—but this was far more intense. Still, it wasn't so bad that she would want to cover her ears entirely. When Lennox spun the dog and opened the hatch, however, the ruckus grew even more fierce.