In an act that had become routine over the last two days, Dante walked the final visitor of the day to a small side door and let him out, then barred and barricaded the door behind him.

“You’re the most paranoid man I’ve ever met,” Tyra declared as she watched him secure the door. She insisted on walking with him as he escorted each of her drop-in patients to the exit, which gave them a few minutes of relative quiet before they returned to the noise and chaos of the upper levels. These stolen moments had allowed him to get to know Tyra a little at a time, and he’d started looking forward to each solitary encounter.

“Maybe. But you’re not paranoid enough. People are actively trying to kill you right now, and you’re carrying on like it’s business as usual.” He couldn’t decide if Tyra was deliberately trying to make him crazy or if she simply wasn’t aware of how dangerous this world was. He’d never met anyone so determined to take chances with their life for the sake of helping someone else. It was maddening and damned attractive, just like the rest of her.

“This is what I do. When I see suffering, I have to do something about it.”

“Which is fine and noble and all that, until one of the ones you try to help turns on you. What do you think will happen to you, Oran, Nico, and the others if they find us? I’m good, Shortcake, but I can’t save everyone.”

Since they’d arrived at her bolthole two days ago, he’d watched in growing dismay as she had used almost all the medical supplies she had left treating street kids, criminals, and even a foul-tempered lizard one of the kids kept as a pet. She’d spent hours working on her fellow doctor, sacrificing sleep to watch over him as he slowly fought his way back from the brink of death. The medication she’d risked her life to retrieve had successfully countered the infection tearing through her teammate. Her dedication to her craft was impressive, but she seemed blind to the risk her patients presented and completely uncaring of the danger that one of them would sell her out for the price of a hot meal and a night’s stay somewhere clean and warm.

Tyra didn’t answer him, but the set of her shoulders tightened as she turned and headed toward the stairwell. He didn’t like playing the heavy with her. She’d gotten under his skin in the short time they’d been thrown together. He found himself trying to find ways to make her smile whenever he could, despite the fact his job was to keep her safe, not make her happy.

Her choices frustrated him, her stubborn defiance made him crazy, and yet there was something about her that pulled him in and made him want to spend time with her. He just wished she could see that her need to help others was putting everyone at risk. These people were desperate, and that made them unpredictable, which was why he’d instructed Tyra not to mention who he worked for. As far as the others knew, he was a mercenary hired by Boundless to track down their missing doctors, nothing more.

The only one of the group he trusted not to sell them out was Nico. The kid adored Tyra, and it was obvious he would do anything for her. He shadowed her every move, only leaving her side when she sent him out to scavenge food or other necessities.

It had been amusing to watch Nico’s initial reaction to him. He’d been sullen and distrustful at first, but once he accepted Dante wasn’t a threat, he’d mellowed. He hadn’t really thawed until Dante had pulled out some Bellex vouchers and offered to buy food for everyone. After that, the kid had accepted him into the group.

Dante felt an affinity for the boy. He’d spent time on the streets, too, though never in a place as rough as this one. It would be easy for Nico to let his circumstances twist him into an angry, bitter soul, but he hadn’t. Not yet, anyway. The few times Dante heard laughter around the place, Nico was always part of the fun, and while he was distrustful and cautious, he hadn’t closed himself off.

He followed Tyra into the main room, a big, open space the kids had filled with abandoned furniture and assorted junk. Some of the older ones had managed to patch the building back into the power grid. Dante had looked over their handiwork and made some improvements, showing the interested ones what he was doing, and why. He’d done the same when he discovered the lizard traps on the roof. He’d given the want-to-be hunters a few tips on how to improve their snares and traps. The kids had to eat, and he wouldn’t be around to buy them burgers for much longer.

Dante’s stomach growled. A quick check of the time confirmed it was early evening. Time for him to check in with his team and organize food for this motley crew he’d fallen in with. “Hey, kid. You hungry?”

Nico’s eyes lit up. “Burgers?”

Of course he wanted burgers. He never wanted anything else. “Yeah. You know the plan. Get enough for everyone, but only buy one or two from each vendor. And maybe get some fruit this time.”

Nico wrinkled his nose. “Fruit?”

“Yeah. Fruit. Any kind. It’s good for you. You want to get big and strong, you need to eat healthy stuff sometimes.”

“It’s mushy and gross,” Nico declared.

“That’s because you’re eating it after it’s old and rotten. See if you can find some fresh apples or something, okay?” Dante handed Nico enough money to cover the purchases. He’d be out of the local currency by tomorrow, and he couldn’t risk hitting a dispenser to get more. Nico and his friends were watching Dante’s room at the hotel, and while no one had come around yet, he wasn’t taking chances. He planned to stay out of sight until Dax and the rest of Team Three arrived.

Once Nico was gone, Dante moved to a quiet stretch of hallway. He could still see into the room where Tyra and her patient were, though. He pulled his comm out and took a moment to activate the newly upgraded stealth settings, which now included encryption and signal masking. Once he was sure everything was working, he sent a ping letting the team know he was ready to report in.

A few seconds later, he got a reply and a familiar face appeared on the screen. “Buttercup! Good to see your ugly mug.” Ensign Eric Erben, the youngest member of their team and the most gifted cyber-jockey Dante had ever met, was beaming at him from a seat in the cockpit of the Malora.

“Magi. Please tell me they didn’t leave your irresponsible ass in charge of my ship.”

Eric grinned. “Relax. Your baby is flying herself right now. I’m just monitoring communications and scanning the chatter to see if there’s any mention of you or your two MIA doctors.”

“Anything I need to know?”

“Yeah, it’s too fraxxing quiet. Not a single mention of the dead bodies you left in the alley. Nothing about the doctors, either. Either Bellex 3 has the most incompetent security force in the galaxy, or someone with some serious muscle has suppressed the whole incident and anything related to it. Care to make a bet on which one? I’m giving ten-to-one odds right now.”

Dante scoffed. “No bet. Security around here isn’t that bad. They’re stretched thin and focus their attention on protecting this place’s secrets instead of keeping the peace, but I’ve got eyes on the ground, and they confirm the bodies have been removed.”

“You have eyes on the ground? You running a spy ring down there, now?”

“Something of the sort. What’s your ETA? We need to get Dr. Castille into a real med-bay, and we could all use food, sleep, and a shower.”

“We should be in orbit in sixteen hours, boots on the ground two hours after that. At least, everyone else will be. I’m staying on the Malora.”

“Your implants?” Dante asked.

Eric’s expression turned stormy. “Yeah. They’ve given Aria a waiver, but they’re not keen on having me dirtside. Jokes on them. I’m just as dangerous from orbit.”

“Trust me when I say you’re not going to be missing much. This world is one big factory floor, and the population all work for Bellex one way or another.”

“Charming. I’ll stay up here and breathe all the nice, clean air and avoid the lizard burgers.”

“Not funny, Magi.”

The kid grinned. “Depends on which side of the screen you’re sitting on. I’m having a nice synth steak with all the trimmings for dinner. What are you having?”

“Apples. I sent the kid out for apples.”

Eric didn’t stop laughing for a full minute, and by the time he was done Dante was already planning his revenge. He was also going to ask Rossi to quit sharing tidbits from his daily reports with the rest of the team. With his luck, they’d program the food dispensers to produce nothing but burgers for the next week he was onboard.

“Is the commander around? Much as I’m enjoying our little chat, I should officially check in.”

“I’m here. Nice of you to remember who you’re supposed to be reporting to, Sergeant.” The screen split, and the face of his commanding officer appeared beside Eric’s.

“Oops,” Eric said before giving a jaunty wave and disconnecting.

“He really needs more to do, sir. Maybe get him to run a level six diagnostic on the engines once you make orbit?”

Rossi snorted. “Maybe. Magi’s not my main concern right now, though. How are you and your charges doing?”

“We’re fine, for now. Our unknowns are sweeping this sector more often, which worries me. Too many people know we’re here. Eventually, one of them is going to talk.”

Rossi narrowed his eyes. “I thought I told you to put an end to the makeshift med-center?”

“I tried, sir. But word spread and Tyra – Dr. Li – won’t turn anyone away. She’s as stubborn as a Nantari rhino and has no sense of self-preservation. Frankly, I’m amazed she’s lasted as long as she has doing this gig.” He’d skimmed her file. She’d joined the Boundless Program less than a week after graduating from a private and very expensive medical college. She was a crusader, probably compensating for the nice, comfortable life she’d had growing up by trying to help people who weren’t born with the same advantages. Whatever her reasons, she took too many chances, and he’d spent most of the last two days trying to protect her from herself.

“Your mission is to make sure they both survive until we get there. Someone with some serious clout is making plenty of noise about getting those two doctors out of there in one piece, and I’m getting sit-rep requests every few hours from the brass. I do not want to have to relay bad news. Got that?”

“Yes, sir.”

Rossi nodded. “Good. Do you have more intel on this supposed addiction crisis?”

“Some. You saw my report?” He’d talked to the doctor at length last night after she finally got Castille stable, and what she had shared with him was enlightening. He’d sent a preliminary report this morning.

“I did. What I want to know is what you think about her theory.”

Dante didn’t hesitate. “I think she’s right. It’s the only explanation for what I’ve seen since I got here.”

“Please tell me that your belief in this theory hinges on more than the fact that the criminal element on this world isn’t doing cobalt. I am not going to be able to sell that to the higher-ups without blood loss and a three-rank demotion.”

“There’s more. They won’t talk to me, but a few of the pharma dealers spoke to my source and confirmed that they had a supply of cobalt for a while, but the supply just dried up.”

“Your source is a street kid with a burger addiction. We’re going to need hard evidence.”

“I know. Once I get the doctors safely on the Malora, we’ll find the proof we need to verify everything, but we’re going to need to test the Bellex factory workers to do it. If cobalt is being consumed, they have to be ones using it. Dr. Li’s theory makes too much sense for it to be anything else. You’ll see what I mean when you get here. It’s a damned nightmare.”

“Getting permission to test Bellex’s property isn’t going to be easy. They’re already trying to limit our access.”

“We’re Nova Force. They aren’t allowed to do that.”

Dax gave a stiff-shouldered shrug. “They’re trying anyway.”

“Believe me, sir, there are cobalt users here. Thousands of them. I didn’t see it, because by the time I got here the overdoses had stopped, and I didn’t know what I was looking for. Now, I do.”

Rossi scowled. “Where the fraxx did this shit come from and who is distributing it?”

“Good question. However the users are getting it, it isn’t through the local pharma dealers. Not anymore. The ones on cobalt don’t indulge in other vices as much. The bars, pleasure palaces, and pharma dens are all taking a hit.” Now he knew what he was looking for, the signs were easy to spot. Cobalt didn’t make the user high. It made them hyper-focused, energized, and prone to suggestion. They were so driven to accomplish whatever tasks they were assigned they became obsessive about it.

The ones that had nearly mowed him down on the sidewalks as they powered through their day weren’t diligent workers, they were the addicts he’d come here to find. It was a plague of productivity. At least, that was Tyra’s theory. If she was right, it was no wonder Bellex didn’t want anyone investigating. Why would they want someone stopping the distribution of a drug that made their workforce work longer, harder, and without complaint?

Dax scrubbed a hand over his jaw. “If someone hadn’t tipped us off in the early stages, we still wouldn’t know about this. We haven’t been able to track down Sgt. Markson, either. He made that report and then vanished into thin air.”

“Lots of vanishing going on lately. I don’t like it. First Markson, then they attacked the Boundless doctors and made them disappear. I bet there are others, too.” Dante bounced his fist against his thigh in frustration. There wasn’t much he could do right now. He had to protect his charges and stay out of sight. Once Tyra and Oran were safely on board the Malora, he could start working on the cobalt puzzle, but not until they were out of danger.

“I know that look. You’re already planning what to do next. That’s good. Just stay put until we’re there to back you up. Too many members of this team have spent time in medical lately.”

“I promise not to inhale any weaponized viruses until you arrive.” Their last major mission had almost gone sideways when the perpetrator had tried to take out most of the team in a bio-attack.

“If you’ve got time to joke, then maybe I should get you to help Magi with that level six diagnostic when we get there.”

“No, sir. I want to stay dirtside and find out who tried to kill Tyra and her entire team.”

Rossi nodded. “I thought so. See you tomorrow. We’ll alert you once we make orbit.”

“Yes, sir. See you soon.”

The communication ended, and Dante put his communicator away. When he looked up, the doctor was standing in the hallway. Her hair was tied back with a bit of string, and his fingers itched to undo it and let it fall around her face. Her hair was black with a few strands of grey sprinkled through it. Her brief said she was forty-two, though he wouldn’t have known it by looking at her. The only parts of her that looked old were her eyes. He recognized the look. Most of his fellow soldiers had those same shadows in their eyes. The difference was, most soldiers he knew had learned to be cautious. They approached new situations and new people with care. Tyra hadn’t learned that lesson. She still trusted too easily and didn’t guard herself at all. If he couldn’t get her to protect herself, he’d just have to do it for her.

Tyra hadn’t liked being told she was endangering the others, but she had to agree he had a point. Not that she’d admit that to him. He’d give her one of his cocky grins and call her ‘Shortcake’ again. She wasn’t sure what annoyed her more, the damned nickname or the fact that every time he called her that, she got a little hot and bothered. There should be a rule that arrogant, pushy men were not allowed to be sexy.

Over that last few days she’d discovered there was more to Dante than his looming presence and complete conviction he was always right. He was kind and patient with the kids, given them tips on improving their home, and was spending a small fortune feeding them all. He was a constant, steady presence at her back, watching over her every move. It had annoyed her at first, but now she was growing to like it.

She found him in the hallway, speaking on a communicator. He finished his conversation, put away the device, then nodded in greeting.

“Everything okay?”

She felt like she’d been caught eavesdropping despite the fact she’d only caught the last few words of his conversation. “All good. That was your team, wasn’t it? Are they coming soon?”

“Yeah. You and Dr. Castille will be safely on board our ship this time tomorrow. You’ll be out of this system and on your way home in no time.”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

The big man folded his arms across his chest and looked down at her with a dour look she’d come to know too well. He was in full bossy mode, which was as irritating as it was attractive.

“Your part in this is over. This is our investigation now,” he declared.

He was right, again. This wasn’t something Boundless would want to be involved in. They were a charitable organization who offered their medical services and expertise to those in need. They weren’t a task force. She could leave tomorrow, rebuild her team and move onto the next place that needed her help. She could, but that didn’t feel like the right choice. Not this time.

She drew herself up to her full height and mirrored his stance. “Do you have a doctor on your team? Someone who has firsthand experience with this drug and its effects?”

“No. But if we need one, we’ll get one.”

His dismissal stung. She marched over to him and poked a finger against the solid wall of his chest. “You’ve got one right here. I volunteer. In fact, I insist. I’m not going anywhere until this is resolved.”

“You won’t be safe here.”

“As you’ve pointed out numerous times since we met, I’m not good with the concept of personal safety. Besides, I owe my team, and their families, the truth about what happened here.” A pang of raw grief filled her chest, and her next words had to be forced past the lump in her throat. “My friends are dead, and I need to know why. More than that, I want the ones who did this to be held accountable for their deaths, and I want to be part of that process.” She hadn’t even had time to grieve yet. No one knew where their bodies were. No one knew anything, and she wasn’t leaving until that changed.

She expected an argument. Instead, Dante sighed and scrubbed a hand over his grizzled jaw, then gave her an understanding look. “I get it, but I’m not sure that’s your call to make. Someone outside the IAF is very concerned about getting you and Dr. Castille out of harm’s way. Someone with enough influence to make my bosses twitchy.”

“I have no idea who that would be. Whoever they are, they don’t have any say over what I do with my time. I came here to help these people. My job’s not done yet.”

“Uh huh. Well, like I said, someone’s making waves.” He shrugged. “But, if you can get that dealt with, maybe you should stick around.”

She wanted to check the sky outside and see if it had suddenly changed color. Sergeant Stubborn actually agreed with her? “I thought you wanted me gone? Why the change of heart?”

“I never said I wanted you gone. I want you safe. The safest place I can think of for you right now is anywhere but here.”

His expression softened, and for a moment she had the strangest desire to move in close and lean into him, borrowing a bit of his strength. He was arrogant, bossy, and as stubborn as a Braxian donkey. “The safest place I can think of is with you.” The words were out of her mouth before she could stop herself.

She half expected him to laugh at her. Instead, he reached out to cup her cheek in one massive hand. “You trust me to take care of you?”

She nodded, ignoring the way her heart was slamming against her ribs. “You saved my life once already. Of course I trust you.”

“Thank you.” He leaned down and brushed the lightest of kisses to her forehead. “If you trust me, then how about you stop arguing with me when it comes to your safety?”

She was too stunned by his kiss to do more than nod, despite the fact he was being bossy again. The man couldn’t help himself.

“So, this is what it takes to get you to stop arguing with me?” he asked, his voice softer than she’d ever heard it.

“Apparently, but the effect is only temporary. I will try and listen to you more, though…when it comes to keeping everyone safe, that is,” she retorted.

His lips twitched with the faintest hint of a smile. “Of course. Wouldn’t want you to stop arguing with me completely, it would throw off our whole dynamic.”

“We have a dynamic?”

“Maybe.” He reached for her again, this time setting those big hands of his on her hips and pulling her in close. “We have something. Not sure what it is, yet.”

She allowed herself a moment of indulgence and moved in so close she could feel his body heat warming her. He wrapped an arm around her waist, his hand spanning the space between her shoulder blades. She tipped her head back to find him looking down at her, his gaze full of fire.

“Yeah, this is definitely something,” he murmured as he bent down to claim her mouth with a heated kiss.

Veth, yes, it was. She’d done her best to ignore the attraction brewing between them. She told her herself it had to be one-sided, that it wasn’t a good idea, and even that she had imagined it existed at all. The moment he kissed her, all her carefully crafted denials went up in flames, and so did she.

He didn’t stop with one kiss or even two. His hard body wrapped around hers, his mouth slanting across her lips as he turned them both and walked her backward until she was pressed up against the nearest wall. He towered over her, all power and strength. He could hurt her so easily, but as demanding as his kisses were, his touch was gentle, and she knew he’d stop if she uttered a word of protest. She didn’t. It was insane, but she wanted this as much as he did.

Her hands were fisted in the fabric of his shirt and her head was spinning with desire when he straightened, abruptly breaking their kiss. He moved away so fast she didn’t have time to let go of him, and he ended up pulling her with him for a few steps.

“What the hell?”

“We’re about to have company, and it’s coming in fast.” He put himself between her and the door to the stairwell. “Go get your bag and be ready to bug out. Oran, too.”

“Where can we go?” She had been too busy caring for Oran and the others to give much thought to an exit plan.

“No time for questions. Move your cute ass!”

It wasn’t what he said that made her sprint for the treatment room, it was the look in Dante’s eyes. He’d had the same expression when he’d told her to hide and walked out to meet the men coming to kill her. Something terrible was about to happen. Again.

Oran was awake when she flew into the room. “Get up. There’s a problem, and we need to get out of here, fast.”

Oran gave her a blank look. “What?”

“Shoes, Oran. Get your fraxxing shoes on right now!” She scampered around the room, gathering up her medical supplies and tossing them into her pack. There wasn’t much left, and she was ready to go in less than a minute.

Nico arrived just as she was helping Oran to his feet. The boy was wide-eyed and panting, and one look at him confirmed for her that Dante hadn’t been overreacting. “They’re coming. You gotta come with me right now. Dante said so.”

“Where? Who’s coming?”

“The bad guys with the masks. I saw ‘em on my way back. More than last time. Come on. Dante’s waiting.”

“How’d they find us? Where are we going?” Tyra asked as she moved in beside Oran to help him stay up. His wound was healing, but the infection had left him too weak to move fast.

Nico gave her a look of frustration he could have only learned from Dante. “I told you. We’re going to Dante. Hurry! And I don’t know how they found us. Maybe they followed one of the younger kids back from the market.”

Or maybe Dante was right, and one of the people she’d insisted on helping had turned her in. Veth. Had she caused this?