“I think I found it!” Alexis sat up from her bedroll and grabbed her head. “Whoa. I moved too fast. Everything is spinning.”

“That’s because you’re overdoing it,” Jackson scolded. She had been trying to locate the language for the last two days. He had heard her mumbling to herself when she should have been sleeping. Reaching into a crate, he took a meal pack and brought it toward her. “Here. Eat.”

“Mmm, nutritional paste in a bag. My favorite,” she muttered sarcastically. “Has it only been two days? I thought it was three.”

“I lost track,” Jackson admitted.

The door to the corridor opened. Raisa motioned frantically for him to come. “Jackson.”

Something in her tone made him drop the food pack and hurry to the corridor.

“Ow,” Alexis grumbled as it fell on her.

“They’re here. I guess Lochlann couldn’t convince the fuel dock authorities to respect the ship’s registration.” Raisa whispered. The door closed behind him and the holographic display appeared. The corridor was empty.

“I don’t see anything,” Jackson said. He walked closer and leaned to the side as if that could expand his view farther down the outside hall. It didn’t.

“Just watch.” Raisa continued to keep her voice low, even though those outside in the ship’s corridor wouldn’t be able to hear her. An arm in a black sleeve appeared, but the viewing screen flickered off as Alexis opened the door.

Jackson grabbed her arm and tugged her into the corridor so the door would close and the screen would reactivate.

“What is it?” Alexis asked.

An image appeared of a uniformed Federation soldier staring right at them. His black hair was slicked back on his head and his eyes seemed to pierce through the door.

Raisa gasped, taking a step back as she bumped into his chest. Jackson wrapped his arm around her shoulders and held her against him. There had been much he wanted to say to her during their stay in the room, but he had refrained. To act on his feelings for Raisa would have made Alexis uncomfortable, no matter that the woman said she didn’t mind. They had managed to steal one quick kiss in the corridor, but Jackson had stopped it. He was tortured enough just being around her, unable to touch her as he wanted, without adding the fuel of her kiss to his fire.

Tension rolled off Jackson as the soldier lifted a handheld scanning device and ran it over the wall. The image flickered and disappeared wherever the bulky unit hovered. Jackson stayed at the ready to shove the women behind him if the soldier made it inside.

“He knows we’re here,” Alexis came up against his side and grabbed his biceps. Jackson put his other arm around her and pulled her against him. He felt both women tremble and held them a little tighter. He had the same fear but was trained to push it deep inside. This was not the first time he’d been in danger, but it was the first time he’d felt the stakes were this high. If they found the crew hiding him, they would all pay.

The soldier frowned and hit the side of the handheld unit several times. The movement revealed the name on his uniform, “Lang.” He again appeared to be looking directly at them before scratching the back of his head and continuing on.

Jackson felt Raisa and Alexis release their captured breath in relief.

“That was too close,” Raisa said.

“He might still come back,” Jackson warned.

They huddled together in the corridor, watching as a blond soldier walked past, then one with a bald head, as the Federation searched the ship. Each wore the black uniform of a foot soldier. Jackson determined he could take them in a fight if he had to. At one point, a pair of soldiers pushed Rick down the hall as the pilot tripped in protest. His guards stood about an inch taller than him. One had a scar down the side of his face, and the other bright red hair that hardly looked natural. Jackson automatically looked down at their names, “Hydock” and “Berger.”

The pilot kept an easy smile, one that Jackson knew well and had been aggravated by often. Lang joined them, still carrying the scanner. Rick’s eyes briefly turned to the hidden door. As Lang began lifting the handheld to the wall, Rick leaned his head back and shouted. Jackson couldn’t hear his words, but it was apparently enough to earn him a beating.

Raisa inhaled sharply as the redheaded brute, Berger, punched Rick across the face. The scarred Hydock then aimed for Rick’s stomach. Not to be left out, Lang kicked Rick behind the knees so that he fell to the ground.

“We have to do something,” Raisa started to move forward to reach for the button to open the door, but hesitated. The corridor’s safety precautions wouldn’t let them out while people were in the hall.

Jackson knew Rick could fight back, but he took the hits, stumbling and taunting as he tried to lead the soldiers away from the door.

“We can’t let them know we’re in here,” Alexis whispered.

Rick’s head was slammed against the metal wall in front of the door. The screen showed it as detailed as if he’d smashed against a window. Raisa yelped and turned away. She pressed her face into Jackson’s chest.

Blood smeared the outside wall. Thankfully, the room didn’t recognize Rick’s blood and stayed closed. Rick crumpled to the ground. Hydock kicked him in the gut one last time before they left him on the corridor floor to continue their search. He could see them laughing at what they had done.

“Is it over?” Raisa lifted her head up to peek.

Rick weakly pushed himself up to sit against the wall. Blood trickled from his scalp and nose, trailing down the side of his face and covering his chin. He wouldn’t have been able to see out of his swollen left eye. He grabbed his stomach and grimaced.

Then, holding up his free hand, he gestured with his thumb in the air and gave them a pained smile.

“Blasted spaceholes, Rick,” Alexis swore under her breath. “You crazy bastard.”

Jackson knew Rick was the only reason the man with the scanner hadn’t found them. The pilot slumped against the wall and closed his eyes. More soldiers came by brandishing weapons. They stepped over Rick, not bothering to help him up.

Dev appeared carrying a large metal box. It seemed to be filled with pieces of silk, beads, and other treasures from the cargo hold. They were all obtained legally as gifts from the royal family on Lintian. The soldiers had no right to it. Still, they held Dev at laser point and forced him to carry their bounty toward the entry hatch.

“Can they do this?” asked Raisa.

“They can do whatever they want, and they know it,” Alexis answered.

“Maybe we can open the door and grab Rick before anyone sees,” Raisa suggested.

“No. They’ll notice he’s missing and he’ll have taken that beating for nothing.” Jackson hated seeing him injured, but the wounds did not appear to be serious.

“Lochlann will make sure he gets treatment,” Alexis said, though he heard the fear in her voice. She worried for her husband.

None of them moved as they watched the screen. Only the sound of their breathing filled the small space. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Dev returned. He glanced over his shoulder, before holding up both hands and pressing them down and forward to signal to Jackson to stay put. Then, going to Rick, he lifted the man into his arms and carried him away.

“I hate not knowing what’s happening out there,” Alexis whispered.

“Lochlann knows how to take care of himself,” Jackson assured her. Alexis pushed away from his side and he released his hold. Raisa was slower to pull back. “What we can do is figure out what these monitors are saying.” He turned Raisa toward the inner door and touched it so that it would let them in. “The biggest help we can be is to fix the power on this ship.”

“And save that poor woman,” Raisa added.

“Yes, and save the woman,” Jackson agreed. He appreciated Raisa’s compassion for the sleeping stranger. No one wanted to pull the plug on the stasis chamber, but if this ship became powerless in the middle of deep space, it would not only kill the crew, it would kill the woman as well. Tough decisions would have to be made.