Page 88 of Her Lawless Prince

She hoped he believed her and doubted he ever fully would.

“There.” Nyle pointed into the distance. “The labs are there.”

They flew toward a large complex. A hole had been blown into the brick wall surrounding the laboratories, but the rubble was swept away. The damage seemed to tell the story of an attack. A secondary gate had been cut open. A flickering holographic sign on the front lawn read,Yeven Genetic Cyborgtronics Laboratories.

“It’s like the news chip said. The Cysgodians must have tried to storm the facility to destroy the virus.” Payton stepped around the chair to get closer to the viewing screen. A door was bashed in. “Do you think they succeeded?”

“No,” Nyle stated. “Even if they knew where it was, I doubt any of them had access to get inside. Security was tight. With the scientists gone, the defense droids would have been left activated to protect the labs.”

“Shields holding,” Dev repeated over the comms.

“It seems strange that they would have just left something so dangerous inside that building where anyone could go after the virus. I thought it would look more secure. Hidden. Underground. Something.” Payton glanced at Rick. “I would think pirates would be crawling all over this place.”

“Only fools would step out on this surface,” Rick answered. The words were hardly comforting. “Flying in, the planetary warning system advised of faces melting off and insides coming through to the outside in animations I really didn’t need a visual for.”

“That’s not how the illness presents,” Nyle denied.

“The fear served its purpose. The Federation isn’t averse to lying to the rest of us, or to each other, or to themselves,” Rick answered. “Besides, everyone knows that a planet killer is here. It was all over the universes when it happened. Pirates and scavengers tend to enjoy being alive. Not many people will risk having something like that hanging around on their ship.”

Nyle gripped the arm of his seat. “We’re not taking the virus with us. We’re making sure it’s destroyed.”

“Obviously,” Rick quipped. “Not much space credit to be made if everyone dies in the transaction.”

“Destroying the threat is the only reason they’re here,” Payton said to soften Rick’s reaction. She was sensitive to the fact that sometimes her uncle’s devil-may-care nature could come off as callousness to those who didn’t know him.

They hovered over a landing dock. The markers on the surface were faded, but the wide-open space left plenty of room. A broken column from an old communications tower jutted from the docks like a broken claw pointing upward. The top half had fallen over the side, too big for the robots to haul away.

“Suit up,” Rick said. “I’ll land and meet you in the airlock.”

Payton waited for Nyle to join her as they walked through the ship’s corridors.

“I still don’t want you out there,” Nyle said when they were alone. “It’s too dangerous. I don’t even like you on-world right now. I’m immune, but you—”

“Are going wherever you go,” Payton finished for him. This wasn’t the first time they’d had this conversation. “You’re my life, Nyle. You and me. That’s everything. You’re here, I’m here.”

They found Dev and Jackson waiting in white biohazard suits with ESC insignia on the chest. The ship jerked and settled as Rick landed.

Dev handed her a similar black suit with a Federation Military logo. “This should fit. No claws on the inside.”

Jackson gave Nyle a white suit that matched theirs.

“ESC?” Nyle questioned.

“Found them in an abandoned container on a scavenging trip,” Jackson said. “Never used. Seemed a shame to let them go to waste.”

Payton didn’t ask him if that container was in a locked storage crate at the time.

“Payton, you can’t use your claws,” Jackson said.

She sighed and glanced sideways at them as she dressed. “No holes. Got it.”

“Did you remind Payton not to make claws?” Rick asked, joining them.

Payton turned on the three men and growled. “I’m not going to—”

Their laughter stopped her.

Rick pointed at her hand, where her claws were extended.

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