Page 123 of Throwing Fire

Erin scoffs. “Your jailor and your fellow slaves? You should thank me.”

Payton pats the Xec case on her hip. “Oh, I will.” She turns away and says to Kez, “What can I do to assist you now?”

“There’s got to be a way to figure out which containers have the Hex in them,” Kez says. I can tell by her distracted tone that she’s wracking her brains for the answer.

“Can I suggest we retire to Operations?” Payton says. “We can compare recent shipments to previous shipments and see if there is some variation.”

“Or we can squeeze this one and B until one of them squeals,” I suggest, giving Erin a shake before setting her on her feet.

“Or that,” Payton agrees.

Mech Tyng takes it as a given that she’s leading us back to Ops. Like I couldn’t find my own way. When she scoots back against the consoles but doesn’t leave after I line Erin up on the floor next to B, I tip my head at her. “Don’t you got somewhere else to be?” I ask.

“Sawhet has a direct uplink to Mother Jo,” Payton says. “She could be useful.”

Mech Tyng offers me a small smile, which I return.

Kez and Payton move to the consoles and begin tapping, trying to figure out what’s different about the thirty million liters upstairs. I trade nods with Acker, who is leaning against the window-wall, looking out over the Hex plant.

“It would be impressive, if I didn’t know the nature of what is produced,” Acker says.

“Yeah. You never tried a taste?”

Acker shakes his head. And something clicks.

“Kez, any of the water headed to the Deeps?” I ask.

Kez lifts her head sharply. “Yes, why?”

“We buy water like everyone else,” Acker offers.

“More than usual?” I ask Kez.

“Wait. Yes. Not a lot, but there’s more T-White than the last shipment.”

“Payton’s daddy said you’d bow to the pressure sooner or later. They pulled out the big guns, even bigger than Exeter’s.” I cast the merc a grin over my shoulder, which he returns without relaxing from his duty stance by the door. “That was for a reason. To make you cave or kill you off before today’s shipment hit the Deeps. You stockpile T-White?”

Acker nods. “Some. For occasions.”

“Best guess,” I say to Kez.

“I’ll take your guesses any day,” Kez says.

“You trust your grocer?” I ask Acker.

“Today, I trust no one,” Acker says. His dark eyes shift to me. “But I might make an exception for you. We usually receive the water delivery mid-afternoon. If you permit me to contact Match, I will instruct him to reject it all. We can argue about the cost later.”

“I’ll take it outta your bonus,” I say. “You got enough to last your people a couple of days?”

“We have a small reserve, assuming it wasn’t destroyed in theattack. I’ll have to ask Match. Can you get a replacement shipment to the Clouds tomorrow? Whatever we have, it is not enough to last until the next normal delivery and buying water from a third-party will be more cost than I can bear right now.”

I glance at Payton who immediately nods. “I’ll have a replacement delivery to the Deeps tomorrow morning.”

“Where will a rejected delivery go?” Kez asks Payton. “I don’t want anyone getting their hands on it.”

“The old Blue Water plant. We use it as a depot. But it’s not secure.”

“Exeter, you want another contract?” Kez asks, turning to look at the merc.