Under Shadows

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Jax felt his breath catch in his throat and lodge there like a lump of rock. He glanced at McManus, whose eyes were glued to the communications console in front of him. Reading.

This is Jackson. I’ve done no harm to the system, I only overwrote the OS MOTD.

The man we’re going to see is known to most as X. His real name is Mark Xavier Phonson. He is – or was, I don’t know any more – a cop with ModPol. He is a master manipulator and has used his skills to extort others for power and money, and where necessary, to end lives.

Sergeant McManus is under orders to bring me to X. Maybe he thinks he’s just doing his job, but this operation is far outside the normal operating parameters of ModPol. X doesn’t want me arrested, he wants me gone. He wants me disappeared. And he’s very good at covering his tracks. So it’s not a stretch to think that he’ll want this whole ship to disappear.

What you do next is up to you. All I’m asking is that you be officers of justice when you do it.

There was a metallic scraping sound, and Jax realized after a cold second that McManus had drawn a weapon.

“No one touch anything,” he said quietly.

Granny pushed herself away from her console and drifted to the center of the cabin. “That’s enough, Jared,” she spat. “Enough of this bullshit. You’re not shooting anyone, you bastard. Kyl, shut down the remote access before they get a lock on us.”

“Ayliff, don’t touch anything,” McManus said louder. His gun couldn’t decide whether to point at Granny or the pilot.

“Just do it, Kyl,” she said. “This ends now. Jared McManus, you put that weapon away or I’m relieving you of duty.”

He blinked and the gun went slack for just a moment. “You … you don’t know what we’re dealing with.”