Mindee Arnett - Proxy

Jeth looked up and saw Celeste disappear around the corner. She would keep the coast clear for him. He pressed his finger to the comm. “I’m here. Are you ready?”

Lizzie answered at once, “Ready in three, two, one. Go.”

Jeth approached the door and pressed his hand against the pressure handle, and it slid open with a faint click. He stepped inside, and it closed behind him, automatically. The hallway beyond was much smaller than the one he’d left behind. He headed down it, made a right at the first intersection, then stopped as he reached another door. There was no door handle, just a control panel set on the wall beside it.

“Putting the card in place now,” Jeth said as he slid the counterfeit invitation into the narrow slit on the control panel’s side.

“Got it,” Lizzie said. “Establishing the connection. Should have it hacked in two minutes.”

Jeth didn’t reply as he turned around, keeping an eye on things. The hallway should stay empty for the time being. Everyone was outside for the fireworks, including the emperor, whose adoration of his granddaughter was well known. That was why Jeth had waited until the fireworks display to come in here. Every servant, guard, guest, and dignitary was expected to observe the spectacle and pay homage to the princess.

Thirty seconds ticked by, then a minute. Almost there .

But then Jeth heard the distinctive hiss of a door opening in the distance, followed by the footsteps of someone approaching.

Someone who shouldn’t be here.

So much for no glitches .

JETH’S HEAD SWAM IN THE SUDDEN SURGE OF ADRENALINE, but then a cool focus came over him, the thrill of the unexpected sharpening his senses. “Someone’s coming. How soon?”

“Need another minute at least,” Danforth answered.

Acting on instinct, Jeth left the comm open as he pulled the collapsible wrench out of his boot and expanded it to full size. He held his breath and approached the edge of the hallway. Only two types of people would be coming this way right now: guards or servants. He hoped for the latter. A servant would likely be easier to take by surprise, knock unconscious, and hide until the job was done.

Jeth listened to the footsteps, determining they were coming from the left, the same way he had entered. He turned and put his back to the wall. Sweat dampened his palms, and he wished he were holding a stunner instead of a wrench. If he hit the person too hard, he could do permanent damage. Too little and he might have a fight on his hands.

Tap, tap, tap .

The person reached the juncture where the two hallways met. Jeth held his breath, tightening his grip on the wrench. A figure stepped into view. Jeth raised his hand, aiming for where neck met skull.

But he froze at the sight of brown hair hanging in ringlets. The girl in the silkwater dress from earlier swung to face him, her large amber eyes widening in surprise.

Hit her! A voice screamed in his head.

He couldn’t. He might hurt her. Might kill her with a blow like that.

“What are you—” she began, but Jeth grabbed her before she could finish. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders, pinning her. She was tiny, easy to overpower. He felt her lungs expand for a scream, and he clapped his hand over her mouth.

“Door’s open, Longshot,” Danforth spoke through the comm. “You got things under control down there?”

“Yeah, I’m coming,” Jeth said, glad he’d left the comm open. To say he had his hands full as he dragged the girl down the hallway would be an understatement. Although to his surprise she wasn’t really struggling. A small, weird part of him was almost disappointed that she didn’t fight. He must’ve misjudged the spunk he’d detected in her earlier.

He shoved her through the now open door into a narrow entryway that dead-ended before an elevator.

“I’m going to lower my hand from your mouth,” Jeth said, in his most menacing voice, “but if you so much as squeak, I’ll brain you. Got it?” He waved the wrench before her eyes with his other hand.

She nodded.

Jeth let go of her mouth, and holding her with one arm, he reached back and grabbed the counterfeit invitation out of the control panel. A second later, the door slid closed, sealing them in the small foyer before the elevator.

“Who are you talking to?” Danforth asked.

“Nobody. A minor inconvenience. Someone from the party. I’m bringing her up with me.”

“All right, but hurry up,” Danforth said. “You’ve got two minutes before we have to switch off the security loop.”

Jeth ignored him as he pushed the girl forward, then spun her around with her back to the elevator door. He pointed the wrench at her. “Stay still.”

She nodded again, although he thought he detected that impishness from before in her eyes. She didn’t look frightened at all. He supposed to a wealthy aristocrat this might seem like a new and exciting game. He might’ve been inclined to feel the same if it hadn’t been for this being Lizzie’s first job.

Jeth shifted to the right, standing in front of the elevator’s control panel. He keyed in the passcode he’d been given and then leaned his right eye toward the retinal scanner. He held perfectly still, experience telling him that if there was too much movement, the scanner would detect the contact lens. Within seconds the access light turned green and the elevator door opened.

The girl stepped inside with no prompting from Jeth. He followed after her. The door closed automatically, and the elevator began to move upward. This was one of the emperor’s private elevators, and it had only one destination—the very top of the tower.

“Face the wall and don’t move,” Jeth said, pointing the wrench at the girl again. She turned around, then stood with her arms hanging loose at her sides. Disconcerted by her compliance, Jeth stooped and grabbed the hem of her silkwater dress, on the alert for any sudden movements.

“What are you doing?” the girl asked, alarmed as he tore off a strip of fabric.

Jeth regretted destroying something so valuable, but it wasn’t like he could steal the dress. Well, he could, but he wouldn’t.

“Got to have some way to keep you contained,” he said, standing up. “What were you doing down that hallway anyway?”

She tapped her foot. “I was following you, to my misfortune it seems.”

“So it would. Put your hands behind your back.”

“Is this really necessary?” she said, doing it anyway.

“Maybe not, but I’m not willing to bet you’ll keep playing nice.” He pulled her wrists together and then wound the torn fabric around them, tying the knot as tight as he could. Silkwater was delicate, but surprisingly strong, enough to be used in this manner.

“Why not?” she said, turning to face him as he finished. “I’ve done everything you’ve ordered so far.”

Jeth shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe because you’re rich?”

She narrowed her eyes on him. “Are you saying rich people can’t be trusted?”

“As a general rule, yes.”

“Oh, but I suppose thieves can?”

Jeth tapped the head of the wrench against his open palm. “Who said anything about thieves?”

“You don’t expect me to believe you’re a maintenance man in disguise, do you?”

“No, but I could be an assassin or a terrorist.”

The girl shook her head, her ringlets bouncing a little. “I don’t think so. If you’re anything other than a thief, I’d go with prostitute sent to be the emperor’s after-party dessert.”

Jeth wrinkled his nose, deciding it was time to change the subject. “You got a name?”

She hesitated, no doubt questioning the wisdom of sharing such information with someone in the middle of breaking into the emperor’s personal bedchambers.