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Topaz walked through the corridor that led to the pilots’ quarters. A few pilots passing by stopped to ask her if there was anything they could do to help Alex, and she thanked them but quietly told them no. They gave her sympathetic smiles, which she returned, then continued down the corridor.
She hoped she looked calm.
She wasn’t.
She was mad.
Someone had set Alex up. They’d been friends for years, but truth be told, he’d been like an older brother to her from the day they’d met, when he’d punched an engineering cadet who was giving her a hard time.
She didn’t have any siblings. But if she did, no one would mess with them—not if she had anything to say about it.
It was time to say something.
She stopped in front of a closed hatch door and knocked.
A pilot opened it. “Hey, Topaz. I’m sorry to hear about Alex.”
“Thank you.”
“Anything I can do?”
“Yes, thank you. Can you ask Pilot Lewis if I could speak with him?”
“Sure. I’ll get him.” The door closed.
Topaz took a deep breath, casually glancing to the right. She couldn’t see her, but around a corner several yards down the corridor Claire leaned against a wall, reading a book as if she were just waiting for someone.
In reality, she would be listening to Topaz’s conversation through her CID. Topaz had called Claire’s CID minutes earlier, then slipped her own into one of her jacket pockets. Claire would be able to hear everything.
They’d decided it would be safer for Topaz to talk to Lewis. Claire was as mad as she was, and both of them were slightly worried that, depending on what they found out from Lewis, she might lose it. And unfortunately, it wasn’t the time for that yet.
The hatch door opened again, and Pilot Lewis stood there. “Hi…Topaz?”
“Hi.” Topaz smiled.
Lewis smiled back. “So…my roommate said you’re Alex’s operator?”
“Yes. And I’m trying to find out who set him up. I could use your help.”
Pilot Lewis nodded and stepped out into the corridor, shutting the door behind him. “Sure.”
“Can you tell me what you remember about being in the engineers’ area?”
“I can do that.”
Topaz listened carefully to what he said. Recalling what Claire had told her about what happened in the station head’s office, Lewis’s story hadn’t changed.
She tried a different tack. “What about when you first got off the carrier? What do you remember about that?”
“Well, once everyone was off the carrier, the carrier pilots told us where we could find our quarters, and I went there immediately.”
“What did you do when you got there?”
“I got to bring a bag with me, and I put that on my bed. I chatted with another new pilot, and then I headed to engineering. I bumped into Fletcher and the others along the way.”
Something nagged at the back of Topaz’s mind. “Did you meet any engineers coming to fix the short in the pilots’ quarters?”
“What short?”
“I guess that means you didn’t.” She gave him another smile. “Why did you want to go to the engineers’ area?”
Lewis blinked. “Um—the CID I was issued wasn’t working, so I decided to take it there so an engineer could look at it.”
That could have been the truth—Lewis could have been bringing his CID to engineering but then never got around to actually talking to an engineer about it because of the mayhem—but Topaz doubted it.
She decided it was time to ask the most pressing question. “How’d you know Claire’s name when you hadn’t met before?”
Lewis chuckled, but it sounded forced. “What do you mean? We introduced ourselves.”
“You said her name before she introduced herself.”
Lewis swallowed. “No, I didn’t.”
“Claire remembers you saying it while you were in the engineers’ area, but you didn’t introduce yourselves until after you left engineering.”
“Then—I must have heard her name from another pilot.”
“If that’s true, why did you say you were introduced to her when you weren’t?”
Lewis didn’t say anything.
Topaz braced herself for a fight. “Are you working with the rebels?”
“No!” Lewis quickly looked back and forth, as if to confirm no one else had heard, then faced her again. “No, I’m not.”
“Then why did you lie?”
“Look…” His voice dropped to a whisper. “I’ll tell you, but you can’t tell anyone else, okay?”
She didn’t mind lying to someone who’d framed an innocent person. “Okay.”
“On the ride over here, I talked to this engineer. He described a beautiful girl pilot at the station named Claire—said I should meet her. Said he’d help me impress her. All I had to do was report an electrical short at the pilots’ quarters, and then head to engineering, where he’d have something set up. That” —he looked down—“that was what the metal ball was about—a chance to show her how strong I am. Except, unfortunately, it didn’t work.”
Really? Seriously?! Topaz managed to keep her tone flat. “Describe the engineer for me.”
He did.
Topaz pulled up a file on her CID. “Take a look at the picture. Is that—”
“That’s him.”
“Thank you.”
“You think he set up Fletcher?”
It annoyed Topaz to hear him say her friend’s name. “Yes.” She turned to leave, then turned back. “And by the way, you’re a disgrace to the U.S.G.F. Agreeing to a scheme like that…How’d you even qualify for the Space Explorer Program?”
“Well…” He looked down. “My family has money.”
Topaz bit back a less than polite response. “Thank you for the…help.” She strode down the corridor.
A few moments later, Claire caught up to her. “I heard everything.”
“I can’t believe he—I want to punch his stupid face.”
“Same. Let’s let the others know—not about wanting to punch him, I mean—”
“I know.” Topaz typed on her CID. “I’m telling the other two to meet us.”
They went to the medical bay and headed straight for Dr. Autumn Hampton’s office. Henry was already there and let them in when they knocked.
“How’s Alex?” Claire asked him.
“He’s holding on.” Henry had already moved chairs over for everyone. “Lew is keeping an eye on the cell block, just in case.”
“Good. Can’t be too careful.” Claire took a seat. “Can’t trust the rebels not to decide that on the off chance someone might clear him, he’d be better off dead.” She nodded to Autumn. “Thank you for letting us use your office.”
“You don’t need to thank me for that.” Autumn sat at her desk, holding her CID. “Colton should be here shortly. First my computer, then my CID. It’s not a good day for my technology. Or anything else,” she added in disgust.
A gentle knock came at the door, and Henry let Colton in.
Once they were all seated around Autumn’s desk, Topaz filled them in on what happened. “He says Taylor was the engineer.”
Autumn’s jaw clenched. “So, the engineer who got to go home for Christmas…”
Topaz nodded.
Autumn snarled.
“That fits.” Colton was quiet. “I didn’t overhear anything useful while I was around the other engineers earlier, but I did check up on that call to the pilots’ section—Taylor was the one who took the call.”
“He planted the material under Alex’s mattress,” Claire said.
“I think so. There were a few other things, too. Let me know if this sounds right to you…” When Colton finished, all of them looked grim.
“It all sounds right,” Claire said.
Henry looked around the group. “So, we can take all this to the general.”
“No.” Colton shook his head. “We need something more solid first.”
“He’s right.” Autumn rested her arms on her desk. “The station head is convinced Alex is guilty. What you said may be completely clear to us, but it will take more to change his mind.”
Topaz smiled. “So, we need to set Taylor up like he set Alex up.”
Claire leaned forward. “Maybe by confronting Taylor with what we know…and then blackmailing him?”
Topaz nodded. “With a wire and a hidden camera. Without them, it would be our word against his.” She looked around the group. “I’ll get myself wired, and then we—”
“Wait a minute.” Claire looked at her. “If he’s working for the rebels, I don’t want you anywhere near him. I’ll handle it.”
“I’m Alex’s operator. You can go with me again—”
“I should be the one to speak with him.” Henry’s gaze switched between the two of them. “Because then you, Topaz, will be able to listen in on the wire, and you, Claire, can be there in case he tries to harm me.”
Topaz shook her head. “No, you should stay with Alex while this is going on. Especially considering”—she sighed—“that awful day in November when they almost killed you.”
“She’s right,” Claire agreed. “None of us wants you around the traitor.”
“But I—”
“I’ll do it.”
Everyone looked at Colton. “I’m the best option for this.”
Topaz shook her head. “No way.”
“Colton, do engineers even receive that much combat training?” Claire asked. “If he attacked you—”
“They did train us to fight, but I knew how even before I joined the program—my parents taught me. It won’t be a problem.”
Autumn bit her lip. “Not that I want Topaz or Henry or Claire doing this, but…Things just seem to go wrong for you.”
“She has a point,” Claire said quietly.
“True.” Colton was silent. “I have an idea.” He pulled a small plastic case out of one of his numerous pockets. “Let’s draw screwdrivers.”
“What?” Topaz stared at him.
“I don’t have any straws, so these will have to do.” Colton opened the case.
Topaz tried to get a closer look, but Colton’s fingers covered them as he scooped them out together. “Did you bring those from home, or were they given to you as part of the program?”
“They were given to me.” Colton’s fingers still hid the screwdrivers as he turned to Henry. “There are six here. Let me give you the handles to hold, so you won’t be poked by the different heads. We’ll each draw one, and whoever gets the shortest will confront Taylor. I’ll go first.”
“This is silly,” Topaz muttered.
They did it anyway.
Colton selected a Torx screwdriver, its head shaped like a six-pointed star with round sides. Claire took a Hex screwdriver, its head hexagonal as its name suggested. Henry, ironically, selected a Phillips screwdriver, its head shaped like a sloping plus sign. Topaz picked a slotted screwdriver, its head a flat line.
“I have the shortest.” Colton turned the Torx screwdriver over in his palm.
Topaz glared. “Okay, I know you set that up. I just don’t know how.”
Autumn chuckled. “I do.”
Colton almost smiled. “We’ll borrow another engineer’s screwdrivers next time.”
Topaz’s face didn’t soften. “I bet all the sets are the same.”
Colton sighed. “Either way, I’m still the best option. It would be betraying Alex to blackmail the person who framed him. Topaz, you’re his operator. You wouldn’t sell him out.” He turned to Claire. “Everyone knows you wouldn’t either, and Henry, you’re one of his closest friends.”
“You’re his friend too,” Topaz countered.
“But I have something the rest of you don’t.”
Henry blinked. “Colton…are you sure you want to use…that?”
Topaz looked between them and then exchanged a look with Claire. She didn’t seem to know what they were talking about either.
Colton smiled at him. “Thanks…But my parents were the ones who taught me how to lie. I can do this.”
“Oh.” Claire looked down. “You’re going to blackmail him to get money for your family.”
“Exactly.”
“You’re comfortable with that? Bringing up your family to Taylor?”
“Not comfortable, per se, but I’m fully capable of it. And besides—we can’t be certain the rebels don’t already know everything they can about our families. Taylor may already know mine is poor.”
“Okay.” Claire nodded. “With that, you are the most believable option for selling Alex out.”
Topaz sighed. “Yeah, he is.” She stood. “Just—if Taylor pulls something—Claire and I are going to be nearby, alright?”
“…I hoped you would be.” Colton gave her a small smile. “And I’ll be ready for him, too.”
“So how are we going to do this?” Claire asked.
Colton put the Torx screwdriver back in the case. “May I have the rest of these back? Thank you. What if I get the camera and wire, and Topaz, you link them to the computer in the general’s office so he’ll be able to watch and listen to the recording live? Then I’ll put them on and go confront Taylor. Once he agrees to the blackmail, and we have a recording of it, then you and Claire can apprehend him.”
Topaz nodded. “Sounds good, except the general will probably suggest we bring two station guards with us too.” She turned to Claire. “What do you think?”
“I think it’ll work.”
“Me too,” Henry agreed.
Autumn looked at Colton. “You’ll need a place where you can put the wire and camera on without anyone else seeing you. You can borrow my office, if you want.”
“Thank you.”
Claire turned toward the door. “I’ll tell the general what we’re doing.”
Henry followed her. “I’ll check on Alex while you’re all doing that, and then I’ll return to the medical bay.”
Colton stood. “You’re not going to stay with him while we’re doing this?”
“I’ll ask Lew to stay with him.” Henry looked Colton in the eyes. “I hope you won’t need me, but if any of you is injured, I want to be here to help.”
____________________________________________________________________________
Henry greeted the two station guards, then made his way down to the cell block. Alex was sitting on his bed, his head in his hands.
Henry gently knocked on the door, and Alex shot up and crossed to it. “Are you all okay? What’s hap—”
“We think we know who really stole the material. We have a plan to catch him, which the others are working on.”
Alex gripped the bars. “Exactly how much danger is that going to put you guys in?”
Henry tried to reassure him. “A rebel—or at least someone willing to work for them—is involved, so there is some element of danger, but we’ll be looking after each other. None of us will be working alone.”
“Good.” Alex exhaled and rested his head against the cell door.
Henry looked at him. “How are you doing?”
“I’m fine.”
“…I know you’re not.”
Alex lifted his head, looking Henry in the eyes.
“Alex…” Henry spoke softly. “I know you think it’s your responsibility to stay positive for everyone, but it’s not. Especially not at a time like this. Not with what you’re going through…If you need to talk, I’m here.”
Alex released the bars, then gripped them even more tightly. “It’s just…It’s freaking me out being in here, you know? I know it’s only been a few hours, but it feels like I’m in a cage, and there’s nothing I can do about it. And all of you are taking risks for me, and there’s nothing I can do to help you. If something goes wrong…”
“It won’t.” Henry decided not to tell him what the others were doing. Not until it was all over, and Alex was released.
“I’m scared, Henry. I’m a pilot. It’s my job to protect the rest of you. To fight. And instead, I’m sitting in here, scared of this cell, scared of what will happen when they take me out of this cell.” Alex dropped his eyes.
Henry reached through the bars and gently took one of Alex’s hands. “There’s nothing wrong with being scared, Alex. You’re in a frightening situation. As your doctor, I’d be more worried if you weren’t scared. But it won’t be for much longer.”
Alex’s mouth twitched. “Have you…heard any good jokes lately?”
“I never hear any in the medical bay. You know doctors have no sense of humor.”
Alex’s chuckle was weak, but it was there. “Thanks for being here, Henry.”
Henry squeezed his hand. “You’re more than welcome, Alex. I wish I could call Perry Mason for you. But then again, it usually takes him at least half a book to get his clients out of trouble and we’re hoping to have you out a little faster than that.”
His reference to Erle Stanley Gardner’s fictional lawyer made Alex chuckle a little more strongly than before.
Henry’s CID buzzed. He checked it. “I’m sorry, but I have to go now. If everything goes according to plan, the next time I see you, you’ll be released.” Henry typed out a message.
“Does that mean the plan’s going into effect?”
“Yes.”
“I’d ask you what you’re going to do, but I doubt you’d tell me.”
Henry smiled a little. “Not until it’s finished.”
“Be careful, okay?” Alex’s voice cracked.
“We will.”
Footsteps approached, and Henry glanced up. “Hello, Lew.”
Lew joined them. “Hey, guys.”
Henry smiled at him, then turned back to Alex. “He’ll stay with you. The rest of us will be back soon.”
“Thank you.”
Henry left the cell block and headed for Autumn’s office.
Colton let him in. “How’s Alex?”
“He’s still holding on. I told him we had a plan, but I didn’t tell him what it was.”
“Thank you. He’s already worried about us.” Colton tugged on the bottom of his jacket and twisted his torso to one side, then the other. “Okay, I think I’ve got the wire in place.”
“And the camera?”
“Concealed by my collar, right here.”
Henry exhaled. “So, I guess you’ll be going now.”
Colton nodded. “I’ll be okay, Henry.”
“I know.”
Colton touched his shoulder. “Thank you for being my friend—you know, when I came to this station, I didn’t expect to find people who’d be like siblings to me, but that’s what you are. Thank you for that. I love you.”
“I love you too—and thank you.”
Colton smiled. “Let me test the camera and wire now.” He took out his CID, typed something on it, and then said, “Topaz, if you can see Henry and hear me, send me a message.” The CID buzzed. “Great, they’re both working.” He looked at Henry. “I hope to see you later.”
The engineer turned to leave, and Henry whispered, “Just be careful.”
Colton turned back with a smile. “I will. But don’t worry. Topaz and Claire are my backup, remember?”
____________________________________________________________________________
Colton made his way through the engineers’ area. Since they’d cleaned up the lubricant and placed the ball in the storage room (somehow no one knew exactly where the ball had come from or how it had started deflecting off things), the engineers had returned to their normal level of activity.
A few of them eyed him as he passed by in his search for Taylor. The other engineer was nowhere to be seen. Maybe his shift had ended, and he was in his room. Colton slipped past a table with CIDs and stifled a grimace as he thought about the ones he’d dropped.
Ever since someone had damaged the VCS cable, he’d been working extra shifts and spending more off-duty time in the engineers’ section, trying to watch everyone so no one would damage anything else.
And Taylor had still pulled off his scheme.
All Colton’s watching had done was cost him precious hours of sleep, which had made him shakier.
Yet, in a strange way, that shakiness had helped Alex.
Taylor had inadvertently given away his involvement when he picked up the CIDs.
Colton entered the area where the engineers’ quarters were, a long stretch of corridor passing between the numerous rooms—or cubbyholes, as Alex described them. Every room had the name of its occupant written on a small piece of paper attached to its door.
Colton passed several closed doors before he reached Taylor’s. When he did, he knocked on it more loudly than he usually knocked on doors.
Several seconds later, Taylor opened the door. “What do you want, Close?”
“To talk with you.” Colton glanced around. “Not here, though. Outside.”
“Why?”
“I’ll tell you when there aren’t people around to overhear us.” Colton locked eyes with him. “Trust me, you don’t want anyone else to hear what I have to say.”
Taylor studied him, then gestured. “Fine. Get going.”
“No, you walk in front of me. I trust myself more than I trust you.”
Taylor rolled his eyes. “Whatever.”
They left the engineers’ section, stopping in an empty corridor.
Taylor frowned. “So, what do you want?”
“I know what you did to Alex.”
Taylor barely lifted his eyebrows. “Oh?”
“Lewis told me about your conversation on the carrier, and what you had him do. I figured out the rest. You were the one who took the material, and then when Lewis called in the fake short, you snuck into Alex’s room and planted it under his mattress—if his roommates were there, you probably told them you were just checking for loose wiring in the wall near his bed.
“Then you came back to the engineers’ section and took advantage of the spilled lubricant—or maybe you spilled it yourself. Either way, you coated the ball in it so it would be harder—if not impossible—to catch it with our hands. But in the process, you got some on your gloves, and so when you picked up Alex and Claire’s CIDs, you spread the lubricant to them. That’s how Claire found it on hers.
“The next morning, you told Major Barr about the missing material, lying about when you last saw it, and lying about Alex being the last one near it. Come to think of it, what was the material doing out on a table like that, anyway? It should have been locked up in storage until someone was actually working with it.
“Major Barr didn’t think to ask that question because he was distracted over the material being gone in the first place—so distracted he even forgot I dropped CIDs. And I didn’t think to ask that question because I was so distracted worrying about Alex. You would have been pretty clever, if not for how you messed up in the station head’s office.”
Taylor looked amused. “And how did I do that?”
“You admitted you didn’t tell Major Barr about my dropping the CIDs, for starters. You had no reason not to tell him. I told him because that’s what happened. But for some reason, you didn’t tell him.
“And that reason was you were slightly worried the station head might believe me when I told him the truth, that Alex was never out of my line of sight. You wanted to be able to discredit me. So, you kept it to yourself until I said something, and then when you let it out, Major Barr was as surprised as the station head.”
“Is that all?”
“No. Your last mistake was the worst. You brought up what happened with the VCS. Only four people knew about that, and none of them was you. Major Barr told me to keep quiet about it, and I know he didn’t tell anyone else, or I would have heard everyone talking about it. So your mentioning it confirmed that you were the one who damaged its cable. And if you did that…You see where I’m going?”
Taylor wasn’t smiling. “So, what do you intend to do now? Call the station guards on me?”
“No.” Colton didn’t smile either. “I intend to have you pay me the same amount you put in Alex’s account. Fifty thousand dollars. And I won’t say anything to anyone.”
Taylor sputtered. “Blackmail? And I thought you were out to help your friend.”
“It’s too bad about him.” Even though he knew why he was saying them, the words still made him feel dirty. “I would have liked to have helped Alex, only—I have my parents to think of. Fifty thousand dollars is more than I’ll make for my six months in space. It could go a long way toward improving their lives.” He locked eyes with Taylor. “Do we have a deal?”
Taylor seemed to think about it. Then he said, “We have a deal. Give me your account number.”
Colton gave it to him. The general had wanted to set up a different account for him to use, but Colton had pointed out that Taylor might already know personal details like his account number. And if he did, he would be suspicious if Colton gave him a different number.
Taylor typed on his CID, then said, “Check it.”
Colton brought up his account on his CID. He didn’t have to fake his reaction. “So that’s what $50,000 looks like.”
Taylor snorted. “You’ve never seen $50,000 before? That’s chump change where I come from.”
“How nice for you.”
Taylor looked almost amused. Then his expression darkened. “Not a word to anyone now, you understand? It’s more than your own life at stake. Like you said, you have your parents to think of. And we can get to them anytime. You think you can protect them? You’re over 100,000 miles away from them right now. They’d be dead for weeks before you’d hear anything. Just remember that, if you ever feel like talking. Understand?”
At mention of his parents, the quiet rage already burning inside Colton grew white-hot. He forced his tone to remain even. “I understand.” Colton glanced past him as two station guards appeared in the corridor, along with Topaz and Claire. “Please put your hands behind your back.”
“What?” Taylor darted a look over his shoulder, then faced Colton again, his eyes cold with fury. “You—”
The knife appeared in his hand, its blade flashing as he lunged.
Colton was faster.
He slapped Taylor’s wrist down and slammed a left cross into his eye.
Taylor crashed to the floor, the knife clattering beside him.
Colton recorded the guards apprehending the unconscious engineer, then, being careful not to turn the camera in their direction, he glanced up with just his eyes as Claire and Topaz mimicked clapping, their palms silently striking air.
Topaz opened her mouth to say something.
Keeping his hand below camera level, Colton quickly gestured toward the wire. It was still active.
Topaz closed her mouth, then grinned and used American Sign Language.
Every member of the U.S.G.F. was given ASL lessons for possible emergency situations where vocal communication wasn’t possible, so Colton could easily tell what she was signing: “About time you did that.”
____________________________________________________________________________
Alex had asked Lew to tell him about his time on Earth again. The other pilot was in the middle of describing outdoor Christmas decorations when loud footsteps sounded in the cell block.
A heartbeat later, Brigadier General Gonzalez appeared, followed by Claire, Topaz, and Henry.
“You’re free now, Pilot.” The general smiled at him as Station Guard Stewart came forward to unlock the cell door, then returned to his post. The general slid the door open himself. “Welcome back, Alex.”
“Thank you, sir.” Alex blinked hard, but still felt himself grin as he left the cell and turned to his friends. His smile faltered when he realized Colton was missing. “Where’s—”
Topaz frowned. “Back in the engineers’ section. Major Barr didn’t clear him to help us investigate, so he’s mad that Colton was the one who caught Taylor.”
“Colton was—what?”
Topaz grinned. “And he punched out Taylor.”
“He did?!” Alex stared at her. “He actually—”
“Well, that’s what Taylor gets for framing you.” Topaz glared. “And for threatening Colton’s parents.”
“Taylor did what?! He threatened—”
The general spoke up. “Don’t worry about his parents, Alex—or yours, for that matter. Ever since November, when I realized the rebels’ reach extended to the point of their being able to place people on this station, I’ve had a security detail on your families.” His mouth twitched. “A few people I know from different branches of the military. They’ll protect your parents.”
The general’s expression darkened. “As for Major Barr, I’ll talk to him. The rest of you can go back about your business.” He strode from the cell block.
Alex looked at the other four. “Thank you, guys. Thank you for everything.” He caught each of them in a hug, ignoring the slight soreness of his ribs. They’d be fine by the next day.
“You’re welcome.” Claire smiled back.
Topaz grinned at him, and so did Lew.
Henry checked his watch. “If the general’s going to talk to the major, Colton might be able to get out of the engineers’ area for a little while. Why not invite him to the rec area? At least for a few minutes.”
“I think I will.” Alex started to move past them, then stopped. “You guys are coming, right?”
Henry smiled. “We’ll be there.”
“Great.” Alex left the cell block and headed for the engineering section.
He met Colton coming from the opposite direction.
“Alex!”
“Colton!” Alex looked both ways to make sure no one else was around, then hugged his friend. “Oh, shoot! I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking. Are your ribs—”
Colton pulled him back into the hug. “They’re fine.”
“Are you sure?”
“I couldn’t be moving around so much if they weren’t.”
Alex doubted that, but didn’t say so. “Thank you for everything you did.”
Colton smiled. “You don’t need to thank me.”
“Yes, I do. Topaz said you caught Taylor. Going up against a rebel…You took a huge risk for me, doing that.”
“You’re my friend, Alex. I love you. Even if we weren’t friends, I couldn’t just let him get away with what he did to you.”
“Well, thank you. And I love you too.” Alex slipped an arm around his shoulders. “Want to go to the rec area for a while?”
“Sure. I probably won’t have more than fifteen minutes, though. Even with the general requesting my assistance. He’s very kind to do that.”
“He is kind, but you deserve someone giving you a break. By the way, I’ve been meaning to ask you, what was all that in the station head’s office about the VCS?”
Colton sighed. “You’ll have to ask Topaz. I was told not to talk about it.”
“Okay, then I’ll ask her.”
Colton glanced at him. “I know it was hard for you in there. How are you doing now?”
“I’m great, Colton.”
“Good. That’s a relief to hear…But if you ever need to talk about any of it, I’ll be here. You know we’re all here for you, right?”
“I do.” Alex smiled. “And I will say this…I wish I could have seen you punch Taylor.”
Colton’s mouth twitched. “You heard about that?”
“Topaz told me. I’m sure she’ll give me a great play-by-play, but I still wish I could have been there. Taylor had it coming for so long—and when he threatened your parents, he really asked for it. Maybe the general will let me review the evidence…” Alex grinned at him. “Did it feel good?”
Colton smiled.
Thank you for reading “The Setup Pt. II.” What are your thoughts on this episode?
The next episode in this series is “The Reassignment Pt. I.” Read it here.
The previous episode in this series is “The Setup Pt. I.” Read it here.
Copyright © 2025 Li Mitchell All Rights Reserved
Note: Everything I write is written without AI—even if I do use a lot of em dashes.
Whew! Thank goodness! 😅
Aww, I loved Colton drawing screwdrivers haha!