Turncoat: Turncoat Trilogy Book 1

Chapter 23.1

The train ride was rather uneventful, I didn't get much sleep due to the fact a baby started crying as soon as the train pulled out of the station. I clung to Nick's arm as I stepped down onto the platform, the ride had stiffened up my wounds, which made walking another exercise in pain tolerance and I can only imagine the scowl on my face. A porter approached Vicki as soon as we entered the main terminal.

"Ms. Fredricks?" he asked.

"Yes?" Vicki asked.

Had I not been trying to remain upright despite the pain in my back, I probably would have paid more attention to the fact Fredricks was not Vicki's last name.

"There is a hotel room in town for you, paid by a Ms. L. Moon," he said. "I've been instructed to bring you and your company. She says she heard about your cousin's sister and just couldn't bare the thought of her sleeping on any second rate beds." His eyes glanced my direction, filled with pity.

"Please, lead the way," Vicki said.

I grabbed her arm as the porter started to walk away. "Why are we trusting him?" I asked.

"Ms. Moon is Luna," Nick whispered. "Come on sis, lets get you off your feet."

I hobbled along next to him, whimpering as we had to descend stairs to get to ground level. The hovercar to the hotel was a mercifully smooth ride and I spent it leaning heavily on Nick's shoulder, lethargic to say the least. Walking into the hotel, I kept my head down and my hood up, noting the ticks as security cameras were picked up by my interface.

Vicki spoke with the front desk and returned with a key. "There's a room waiting for us, paid up for a month," she said as we entered an elevator.

"A month?" I asked.

"Time for you to rest and heal," Vicki said. "You must have really made an impression on her."

"She seemed really nice when I met her," I said.

"She's a vile, cold hearted bitch," Nick said. "Believe me."

"Just because she turned down you coming onto her," I started.

"He's not making that up," Vicki said. "She acts all modest and undeserving of her rank, but really, she was a general before she came to us. She's led some of the gutsiest military incursions. Got an entire company slaughtered without batting an eye. She's cold hearted, this is out of sorts for her. She must really like you."

The elevator doors opened revealing a pretty standard hotel hallway. Tacky carpet and stereotypical photography lined with the occasional door. Vicki opened the proper door and we entered, pulling our hoods down and Nick laid me out on one of the beds. A bag sat on the table across the room with an envelope sitting on it.

Nick picked up the envelope and opened it, pulling a piece of paper out and unfolding it. "Dear Tawny, Vicki and Nick. I'm sorry to hear about Kai, he will be missed, but now the concern is getting you three out to safety. Contained in this note is a memory chip that needs to get to the Alliance, it contains information on the government secured by my contacts. In the bag are a few things I've secured for you, specifically medical supplies for Tawny and a few odds bits of armor and weaponry for the reason of you. The hotel is owned and run by some alliance soldiers, they'll give you discretion and whatever you need. I've paid you up through the end of the month, but if you need more time, take it. Keep your heads down and get out. You've done good work."

I smiled weakly and Nick pulled a bottle out of the bag and spilled something into his hand. "Here, Tawny, take these, they'll help with the pain."

I took two small pills from him and swallowed them quickly before settling down on the bed and drifting off. I was in and out of sleep for several hours, seeing Vicki and Nick just sort of teleport around the room as they went about their business, working on armor, cleaning weapons, leaning over a map, eating. The food smelled utterly disgusting to me, so I didn't bother trying to arouse myself enough to eat.

Vicki cleaned and washed my wounds, redressing them but hesitating on the brand between my shoulder blades. The cuts really didn't hurt too much anymore, but that brand always ached. When she finished bandaging my torso, I pulled my shirt back on, before swallowing two more pills and laying back down.

"I'll get you something to eat when you wake up," she said.

I nodded and drifted off again. A week progressed like that, almost too smoothly, like the calm before a storm.