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As instructed, he walked behind Skyler at a coun presumably trained on him If the suit had one drawback, it was that he couldn’t easily look backward That he rectified a an to explore the suit’s menu of options A rearview camera was built into the back of the helmet, and when he turned it on a small, widescreen view of the world behind hiainst the backdrop of the sleek aircraft, filled the i Better yet, I have eyes on the back of my head

He found another menu, next One that controlled the thruster built into the suit’s right arnostics," and within that another choice caught his eye Vacuuain He suddenly felt like a prisoner who’d been slipped a hidden shiv in his care package

Chapter Eight

Darwin, Australia

29MAR2285

The air inside was stifling and sh she did not enter as a prisoner this time, she remained an outsider, and Salares as she circled the periphery of the diht in the center of the room otherwise held the crowd’s attention They echoed the constant rhythrunts of pain with a roans

Sa She wondered if bets would be settled once a winner eot her answer a few seconds later after the distinct thud of a body toppling to the ground

Most of the crowd cheered, soh aloud Quiet conversations started all around the room, forced smiles and polite handshakes across the board They reminded her of extras in a crappy theater perfor real discussions at the back of a stage Bets were being settled, she had no doubt, but it couldn’t be done overtly lest they draw attention froue had been allowed to continue at all surprised her It didn’t fit with Grillo’s way of doing things at all It must have been a concession to keep morale up, just as he’d coer crews Grillo certainly had a knack for giving his subjects just enough slack to keep the wrath from the Jacobite hard-liners

Sahn In her ainst the wall, arms folded, in exactly the saht here But no, he was not there, nor anywhere else She turned her attention inward, toward the center of the roo the faces of the audience If anyone recognized her, they hid it well She had to reht Her perfor of legend She hadn’t really expected that, but some part of her hoped for a flash of "oh shit, she’s back!" recognition

Maybe I should go a few rounds, she thought idly Rean Sa attention, but from the pained looks on the crowd’s faces someone had just been dropped on the first or second blow Another co of bets ensued

It took her a rown quiet and people were looking at her No, not siht rush of fear at the sudden attention She half expected to turn and see Grillo uards at his back, her murderous escapade in the Narrows exposed

What she sahen she turned was Vaughn

He stood in the center of the fighting ring and was pointing at her

Calling her out

Sam smiled "You want a piece of hs from the crowd

In response he turned his hand over, held it flat, and then beckoned her with his fingers

He wasn’t srin anyway and strode into the circle of onlookers

She walked a circuit around hihn seemed leaner than the last tiht noore brown shorts and a bloodied white tank top If any of his previous opponents had landed a blow on his face, there was no bruising visible to indicate it Ie came out of nowhere Two quick steps closed the distance between theht at her nose Saraze the top of her head In the sa to kick his feet out froht up, and landed hard on her thigh and calf

Sam yelped and rolled, heard a roar of approval frorit her teeth when she caain He punched and she parried this tied to block it, the fist stinging her forearht back She slugged him on the jaith a left, which seeht hook took hi back

A chorus of oohs and aahs erupted fro a fireworks display

"Miss ruround now--but he’d already found his footing and now faced her with an expert stance, dancing from foot to foot

"Aren’t you full of surprises," she said, and took her own stance, bringing both fists up in front of her Clearly the ressiveness, and Sam decided to let hiht as well as she did They danced around each other for a good fiveas many blows as they blocked or avoided Sa headache when she decided enough was enough Another few ht she could beat hi him win in front of his comrades would be wise

Sam let the next punch fall; she feinted away at the last instant so it didn’t doShe closed her eyes, whirled with the iround

Wild cheers erupted frohn stood over her, sweat dripping from his chin onto the floor next to her She blinked away the sparkles floating around her vision and held up a hand A few seconds passed, and just as she thought he ht not help her up, he clasped her forearm and she his, and he hauled her to her feet with one easy hn," she said, her face just a few centi here, Saured that part out"

Bets settled, the crowd shouted for Sahn could face his next opponent When Vaughn waved them off and pulled her by the elboard the exit, they booed hih she could tell it was mostly in jest They hadn’t even reached the door yet when anotherhipped the clotheslines that hung between buildings outside, bringing with it the sed with the ever-present salt of the ocean Lightning danced across the sky to the east; a bright full leamed to the west Soed her into the darkness between two buildings and pushed her against the slat wall The bruises, blood, and sweat on her face suddenly forgotten, Saripped his shirt in both hands and pulled his lips to hers They arent and tasted like battle

Saled when she alhn’s roo flashes of white light from the thunderstorm to the east that filled the tiny space every few seconds But sometimes a full minute would pass in total darkness Sam found those periods of exploration only by the sensation of touch and taste to be intense, but there was so his naked flesh lit up by a lightning strike--on top of her, under her, behind her

He lay next to her now, a sweaty sheet covering one leg and the rest of hi his form every time a flash of white filled the rooether, and a passable perforo, and he’d changed Whatever workout regiht places And, she suspected, he must have taken another lover or two since they’d parted, or perhaps found a good whore, because his skill in love had improved even more dramatically

"I should have coh and up his chest

"You probably shouldn’t have left in the first place"