Page 75 of The Red Woman on Mars

The far door banged open, and a Martian man strode in before skidding to a halt in the middle of the room.

“Mr. Hayes, right on schedule,” Silas drawled. “So glad you received my message.”

Caspian took in the scene: August, sword in hand, the Intelligence bobbing at his side; Vivian clutching the pale Delilah; Silas pressing a knife to Xavier’s throat. And Chancellor River standing serenely in the middle, unarmed.

“Chancellor,” Caspian said warily. “What passes here?”

“Do you have it?” River asked, stepping closer to Caspian.

Caspian lifted a small data disc from his pocket. “All of Arcadia’s collective knowledge on Martian terraforming.”

The orb zoomed forward in between River and Caspian. “Caspian, you can’t give that to Catena. We won’t allow it.”

Caspian looked uncertainly to Xavier. “Is that …?”

“Indeed.”

Caspian pressed a fist to his forehead. “Forgive me, Intelligence. I am grieved to go against your wishes, but I have an agreement with Chancellor River.”

“Give me the data disc, Mr. Hayes,” River demanded, holding out one hand.

Caspian hesitated. “After you release Xavier.”

Silas merely laughed. “Our deal hasn’t changed: House Hayes’s proprietary terraforming tech for Delilah Bowen. X ismine.” He pressed the knife hard enough to draw blood, and Xavier closed his eyes.

Vivian held fast to her sister, transfixed by the sight of the knife. She knew what it felt like to be helpless and weak in the face of a weapon.

“Mr. Gatlin,” Caspian said, looking carefully at Xavier. “I would not recommend threatening Xavier Dorsey. He is one of the most skilled and vicious fighters of my acquaintance.”

“I am intimately acquainted with all of X’s many talents. The disc, now.”

“Not without guaranteeing free passage to everyone in this room.”

“Is that how you’d like to play it, Mr. Hayes?” Into his wrist comm, Silas commanded, “Now.”

“We’re detecting incoming rocket launcher fire directed at our borrowed rover,” the Intelligence relayed in a neutral voice. “Ten seconds to impact … The rover is destroyed.”

Vivian let out a breath. Their means of escape, gone in seconds. They shouldn’t have come here with no backup. Why had they thought the Intelligence would tip the balance in their favor? All it had done so far was bob around uselessly, narrating their failures.

Caspian stiffened. “Is my ship intact?”

“Of course,” Silas soothed. “We have a deal, and I intend to honor it as long as you do.”

“If you touch my ship, the deal is off. I’ll convene the Council to declare war. I’ll level this dome.” Caspian’s cultured voice had taken on a deadly precision.

“Interesting. I do believe we told you to come alone. Who’s on the ship, Mr. Hayes?”

“No one,” Caspian replied quickly.

“Aim a rocket launcher at the Arcadian ship,” Silas ordered into his wrist comm.

“No!”

“He’ll do it, Casp,” Xavier warned, rigid in Silas’s arms.

“Fire on my mark.” Silas looked at Caspian. “Who’s on the ship?”

“Ivey,” Capsian gasped. “Ivey’s here. She insisted.”