Lost in Barbarian Space(27)
He looked like a snow monster.
Derek and Dr. Behati appeared out of the wall of white. Derek held up his scanner.
Honor nodded. “Let’s get looking.” They fought their way through the deep snow, her boots sinking knee-deep. This could take far longer than she’d guessed. Even walking was hard.
Except for Colm. The damned warrior looked like he was out for a gentle stroll. He paused every now and then to kick snow away with his boot, studying the ground.
Derek’s scanner made a beep. They all stopped, and the agent crouched and brushed at the snow with his gloved hand.
Only to find hunks of rock.
Derek shook his head. “The rock has a high iron content. It seems to be setting the scanner off.”
Dammit. Could all the readings be false positives? “You think that’s what Agent Abora picked up?”
Derek shook his head. “Don’t think so. The Drake’s scanners are more powerful.”
“Keep looking.”
The wind picked up. The snow was now small flecks of ice that pinged against her visor. She checked on Colm. He’d pulled his cloak tighter around himself, but seemed fine. Every now and then, he’d bend on one knee to scrape away snow.
Derek turned. “Nothing here, Agent Brandall. If there is, it’s too small to pick up. Maybe the rocks did ping the Drake’s scanners. I’ll need Agent Abora to adjust for that.”
Honor pressed her lips together. “Okay. Let’s move onto the next location.” And get out of these frigid conditions and warm up. Even with her suit and gloves, her fingers felt numb. She spotted Colm, staring off into the falling snow.
“Colm?”
With no response, she trudged over to join him. “Colm? We’re heading back to the marlins. There’s nothing here.”
He kept staring. “There’s something moving out there in the snow.”
What? She turned, scanning around them. All she saw was fluttering white. “Easy to imagine stuff in these conditions.”
He glanced down at her, his face serious. “Stay close to me.” His voice was a deep rumble. “I didn’t imagine anything. There is something out there.”
Honor swallowed, her nerves itching. She looked again, trying to see what Colm was seeing. “I don’t see anything.”
“I wouldn’t either, without my nanami.”
She touched the side of her visor. “Drake, Brandall here. Are you picking anything up near us? Heat signatures?”
“Nothing,” Agent Abora answered. “But the snow is interfering with our scans.”
So essentially they were blind down here in this snow. “Let’s get out of here.” Honor turned and took one step.
The ground disappeared beneath her boot. Her body dropped, snow rushing past her.
Something grabbed her hand.
Her heart in her throat, her pulse racing, she looked up and saw Colm had grabbed her. She was buried in the snow, just her hand still above the surface.
Stars. She fought for some calm. Colm had her. She was okay.
Then she felt her glove start to slide through his grip.
“Honor!”
She reached up with her other hand, grabbing his wrist tight.
He pulled, yanking her up. Snow rushed against her visor, then she fell into his arms.
“Honor? Are you okay?”
“Fine, fine. Must be a hole, or entrance to one of those ice tunnels under here.” She gave a shaky laugh. “Thanks for grabbing me.”
He reached out and touched her visor.
“Let’s get out of here.” She turned, her gaze landing on the other two not far away. “Derek, last chance. Anything?”
“Nothing,” the man called out. “No wreckage here.”
“Let’s move to the second location,” Honor said.
They hurried back toward the marlins. The wind was harder now, slowing their progress, and the small lumps of falling snow were verging on hail.
Honor happily climbed back into the marlin, and once Colm was seated, she closed the canopy, abruptly cutting off the howl of the wind.
Honor retracted her visor. She saw Colm staring out through the canopy, an intense look on his face. She mustered a smile. “It must have been the snow’s movements you saw.”
“No.”
She sighed, touching the controls. “I was worried you’d say that.”
“I can sense we are being watched.” His brown eyes turned her way and she saw the glimmer of gold in them. “We were being hunted, Honor.”
“Okay. But now we’re leaving.”
He nodded and settled back in his chair. Honor took off, and she wasn’t afraid to admit she was damned glad to be back in the ship.
“Your eyes…I see them glimmer gold sometimes,” she said.