He was hurt. Slumped in his seat. Looked to be in shock. He needed medical attention now.

Things are out of control, she thought.

Her world would spiral out of control if Jordan lost it.

"He can't tell you," Nahara said.

"What?"

Jordan. Still holding on to the scientist.

"He- he's under World Council orders. He can't tell you anything. Not unless they say so. He'd get fired."

Nahara made a loud watery sound when he coughed.

Annie went to him.

"Or worse."

Only then did Jordan relent, slowly lowering Rodriguez.

Annie knelt down in front of Nahara.

"Let me have a look where it grabbed you."

All SRV captains had basic medical training, so Annie was able to deal with most minor medical emergencies.

She wasn't so sure when she slowly pulled up Nahara's shirt. He winced and let out a low moan when the material pulled away from a bloody spot.

The warrow's teeth had raked three parallel lines across his ribs. Already, there was evidence of swelling.

"I'll have to clean and disinfect those bites."

Nahara nodded.

Everyone in the cabin had their eyes on her.

She studied the three lines where the warrow had bitten him.

His left side was okay, only a bruise. Nasty-looking. Big. But the skin was unbroken.

His right side, though ...

The gash could be deep. Blood was dripping steadily onto Nahara's lap.

Jordan-pulling it together-came over to her with the med kit, already open.

She grabbed a spray can that would sterilize and cauterize the wound. As she did that, Jordan took out a bandage and antiseptic. She couldn't put any Nu Skin on until the wound stopped oozing.

She looked closely at it, being careful as she placed the bandage.

"Not too bad, Mr. Nahara. All things considered."

Still, he needed to have a real doctor take a look at it.

Next way station, Annie thought.

She stood up.

"Okay. We're going to get the hell out of here."

Her eyes fell on Gage sitting quietly in the back.

Their savior ... still holding his gun.

She looked at the storage locker, thinking: How the hell did he get a gun?

Maybe she'd ask one of the others. The Chippie, perhaps.

She turned to Jordan. Maybe both of them were thinking the same thing.

We need to get that gun away from him ... at least for the duration of the trip.

Another thing to deal with later.

For now?

"Gage."

He looked up with sleepy eyes. The only one who didn't seem worried or stressed about what had just happened.

"Thanks for the help."

He nodded.

"We'd all be warrow food if you hadn't shown up."

In the back, Gage nodded again and raised a hand. A slight wave.

She thought: Who is this guy?

"We're leaving here now. Back on the Road. We'll have to get Mr. Nahara some help at the next station. For now, though, everyone sit tight."

She turned to Jordan.

There was a lot she needed to talk to him about.

That, though, also had to wait until they were in the cockpit, away from the ears of their ever-more-interesting group of passengers.

Annie climbed the stairs to the cockpit, Jordan following with none of the passengers saying a word ... maybe from fear ... maybe too numb to feel.

What does it matter? she thought. We gotta get moving.

23.

SUSPICIONS.

Annie didn't relax until the SRV slid through the portal.

First, a check of the Road ahead. No signs of the storm, only the ribbony expanse of lights looking now serene-after what they'd been through-stretching out into space.

And what about the ion deflectors?

No more EVAs, that was for sure. So she'd have to wait-and hope they made it to the next station.

Only then did she turn to Jordan.

"So what was that all about?"

Jordan hadn't spoken since they got back to the cockpit other than single words during the preflight check.

Although he always kept his thoughts to himself, that total silence-after what had happened-seemed unusual, even for him.

She kept her eyes on the screen and gauges, making minor adjustments but mostly to simply keep busy.

Engine's running good ... core's well within parameters.

Thank you, McGowan, she thought. We're alive because of you.

Jordan's response: "What's what all about?"

"With Rodriguez. I thought you were about to strangle the guy."

"I was."

She was aware that Jordan had turned and was looking at her. She gave him a quick glance but went back to her screens.

And since she wasn't exactly asking the question out of curiosity, she liked keeping her attention focused ... elsewhere.

"Care to explain?"

"Okay. That son of a bitch has information from Earth. About what's ahead. About his mission, on Omega Nine, right?"

"So?"

"Any information he has could be vital for us. For our survival. It could give us a heads-up. Especially after that freak show back there at the station."

"It's classified, Jordan. Classified. By the World-freaking-Council. Don't you get that?"

His eyes were still on her.

Then, after a long, uncomfortable pause: "Yeah. So. It's still dangerous."

"The Road's always dangerous," Annie said, still not looking at him.

He's not telling me something, she thought.

Another quick look at him.

"You have to let it go, Jordan."

She knew him too well. She knew he wouldn't-or couldn't-let it go.

"I'm not asking," she said. "I'm telling. This is my ship, so you let it go. At least, until we get to-"

Jordan leaned close, about to say something. His breath was warm on the side of her face.

"It's that guy. Gage."

"You mean the guy who saved our asses?"

Jordan nodded. "Damn good shot, don't you think?"

"Lucky for us he is."

"Annie. Truth is, what I saw? He's an amazing shot."

Another silence.

"He knows tactics. Aiming ... a firing retreat."

"Impressive."

Jordan shook his head. "You're not getting it."

He took a breath and held it as if he himself didn't like what he was about to say.

What it might mean for this trip.

"There are only two ways you learn that stuff. Two that I know of, anyway-"

She chanced to look away from the screens, the SRV rolling along smoothly, everything fine. A solid stretch of straight Road ahead of them.