Part Six
Renee Palmer twisted in her seat in the shuttle when her global activated itself. Boone temporarily stopped doing preflight checks on the shuttle to pick up his own beeping global. Sandoval's face appeared on both globals. Liam Kincaid was visible strapped to a bed behind him. Renee involuntarily gasped. Liam looked so weak and pail but he was still alive. But he was still Liam and just seeing him sent a new wave of resolve coursing through Renee. Liam strained, looking in her direction and for a second Renee could have sworn that he could see her too. But that wasn't possible. Liam wasn't actually there. The global signal only went one way.
Boone paused for a second, looking from Renee's worried face to Liam's limp body on the global screen. "So this is Liam Kincaid." he thought to himself.
"Miss Palmer, listen carefully. Liam Kincaid is alive but will only stay that way if you willingly deliver yourself to the Mothership."
Liam managed to get one arm out of his restraints and sat half way up.
"Renee, don't do it!" Liam implored before a team of medics moved in and sedated him.
"You have one hour or Major Kincaid dies." Sandoval continued as if nothing had happened.
Before Boone or Renee could react, both of their globals went blank.
"No, Renee." Boone turned in his seat so he was facing Renee. He cut her off before she could even form the words. "No, we stick to the plan. But you will not be using yourself as bait." Renee started to object but she saw the steel in Boone's eyes and stopped.
"This is Liam." She said gently, avoiding looking at Boone. "I would die for him."
"You won't have to! We slip in, set off a bomb for a distraction and slip out with Liam in tow. No contact with anyone." Boone lifted Renee's chin with his hand, forcing her to look at him. "It's going to be all right."
"If anything goes wrong, I'll turn myself over to Howlyn." Renee's voice was full of resolve that she wished she felt inside.
"It won't come down to that." Boone sounded sure of himself but inside felt cold. Boone had lost everything that mattered to him once. He wasn't about to let anything happen to Renee.
Part 7
Renee remained silent the rest of the way to the Mothership. She was in shock, still trying to process all the events of the last few hours. Boone's return shocked her enough by itself. And Liam! Renee wasn't about to let herself believe that Liam was alive until he was in her arms. She tried not to think about it because thinking about it made it real, not some bizarre dream, but she couldn't get the image of Liam lying strapped to that bed out of her mind.
As the shuttle rapidly approached the Mothership Renee broke the silence. "Here," she said reaching her hand out to Boone, handing him a small earpiece. "These are Street's newest model. They're strong enough to pick up everything anyone in the room says. We'll stay in touch." She said offering him a small smile.
Boone turned slightly toward her and looked for a long moment. Then something in his eyes changed. Before Renee could put her finger on the difference, he gave her a halfhearted smile in return and turned his concentration back to piloting the shuttle. The Mothership rapidly became larger as the small shuttle approached. Boone eased the shuttle towards the shuttle bay. The Mothership opened its shuttle bay doors, recognizing the Talon energy signature. Boone skillfully landed the shuttle. As Renee strapped her small pack to her shoulders, Boone cloaked the shuttle.
"This is it, Renee. No going back." he said touching her arm.
Renee ignored his statement. "I'll go to E deck and set this baby off." Renee said, patting the bomb in her pack. "Think you can find the medical bay?" she said guardedly, brushing by Boone.
"I think I can manage it." Boone said, slightly bemused.
"That's where Street scans last located Liam." Renee stated. "The bomb has a forty second timer. That should give me enough time to set it off and get clear. I should be able to set off the bomb before you get to Liam."
"Renee, be careful." Boone grabbed her arm and gave it a squeeze
"Am I ever not?" Renee asked, giving Boone a small smile.
Renee Palmer twisted in her seat in the shuttle when her global activated itself. Boone temporarily stopped doing preflight checks on the shuttle to pick up his own beeping global. Sandoval's face appeared on both globals. Liam Kincaid was visible strapped to a bed behind him. Renee involuntarily gasped. Liam looked so weak and pail but he was still alive. But he was still Liam and just seeing him sent a new wave of resolve coursing through Renee. Liam strained, looking in her direction and for a second Renee could have sworn that he could see her too. But that wasn't possible. Liam wasn't actually there. The global signal only went one way.
Boone paused for a second, looking from Renee's worried face to Liam's limp body on the global screen. "So this is Liam Kincaid." he thought to himself.
"Miss Palmer, listen carefully. Liam Kincaid is alive but will only stay that way if you willingly deliver yourself to the Mothership."
Liam managed to get one arm out of his restraints and sat half way up.
"Renee, don't do it!" Liam implored before a team of medics moved in and sedated him.
"You have one hour or Major Kincaid dies." Sandoval continued as if nothing had happened.
Before Boone or Renee could react, both of their globals went blank.
"No, Renee." Boone turned in his seat so he was facing Renee. He cut her off before she could even form the words. "No, we stick to the plan. But you will not be using yourself as bait." Renee started to object but she saw the steel in Boone's eyes and stopped.
"This is Liam." She said gently, avoiding looking at Boone. "I would die for him."
"You won't have to! We slip in, set off a bomb for a distraction and slip out with Liam in tow. No contact with anyone." Boone lifted Renee's chin with his hand, forcing her to look at him. "It's going to be all right."
"If anything goes wrong, I'll turn myself over to Howlyn." Renee's voice was full of resolve that she wished she felt inside.
"It won't come down to that." Boone sounded sure of himself but inside felt cold. Boone had lost everything that mattered to him once. He wasn't about to let anything happen to Renee.
Part 7
Renee remained silent the rest of the way to the Mothership. She was in shock, still trying to process all the events of the last few hours. Boone's return shocked her enough by itself. And Liam! Renee wasn't about to let herself believe that Liam was alive until he was in her arms. She tried not to think about it because thinking about it made it real, not some bizarre dream, but she couldn't get the image of Liam lying strapped to that bed out of her mind.
As the shuttle rapidly approached the Mothership Renee broke the silence. "Here," she said reaching her hand out to Boone, handing him a small earpiece. "These are Street's newest model. They're strong enough to pick up everything anyone in the room says. We'll stay in touch." She said offering him a small smile.
Boone turned slightly toward her and looked for a long moment. Then something in his eyes changed. Before Renee could put her finger on the difference, he gave her a halfhearted smile in return and turned his concentration back to piloting the shuttle. The Mothership rapidly became larger as the small shuttle approached. Boone eased the shuttle towards the shuttle bay. The Mothership opened its shuttle bay doors, recognizing the Talon energy signature. Boone skillfully landed the shuttle. As Renee strapped her small pack to her shoulders, Boone cloaked the shuttle.
"This is it, Renee. No going back." he said touching her arm.
Renee ignored his statement. "I'll go to E deck and set this baby off." Renee said, patting the bomb in her pack. "Think you can find the medical bay?" she said guardedly, brushing by Boone.
"I think I can manage it." Boone said, slightly bemused.
"That's where Street scans last located Liam." Renee stated. "The bomb has a forty second timer. That should give me enough time to set it off and get clear. I should be able to set off the bomb before you get to Liam."
"Renee, be careful." Boone grabbed her arm and gave it a squeeze
"Am I ever not?" Renee asked, giving Boone a small smile.