Page 41 of The Quoram Effect

“Yes.”

“But the attackers have been recruited to do it?”

“That’s correct.”

“Then…then who’s instigating the faux strikes? Who’s the bastard arranging the deal?”

Chaz jerked his shoulder. “They use an alias. Although, they didn’t cover their tracks well enough for the likes of me. I traced their ship’s logs back to Linxos.”

“Linxos?” I looked to Torz, meeting his troubled gaze with my puzzled one.

The bombing on the Argentum jumped to my mind—the day Zuli arrived on Delta Ring. It hadn’t killed anyone, and the investigation deemed the blast superficial. But regardless, it had startled us, putting us all on high alert.

Then Torz’s words from prior to that event hit me. The assassination attempts on Zuli and her team were buying her sympathy voters.

“Who was the victim of this morning’s attack?” I probed.

Torz blinked, shaking his head. “I believe it was Commander Oakka’s vessel.”

“Oakka?” The woman with the complicated family life, who had rejected her Damson when she was pregnant. “Was Zuli there?”

Torz paused, eyes widening. “Yes.”

I frowned. “Is it possible Zuli is behind this all?” Surely, it couldn’t be a coincidence the attack happened on Oakka’s ship with the governor present…or had she planned the assault to frighten Oakka into submission? Zuli clearly despised rejected Damsons…and thinking about it, had the assassination attempt on Marla been aimed at her or me?

“I wouldn’t put it past the bitch,” Saul mumbled.

Torz fell silent, his mind spiralling. He slowly lowered his gun, releasing the injured woman. She slumped to her knees, whimpering.

“That’s not all,” Chaz grumbled, crouching down to aid his comrade. “Russo has heard about what’s going on here, about Zuli’s plan to feed Purans to Quoram. He’s aware she’s winning at the polls, and that you are endorsing her—”

“I’mnotendorsing her!” Torz retorted.

“That’s not the rumour floating about Pura. Russo’s pissed. He’s coming for you.”

Torz glanced at me, a surge of guilt hitting me through the bond. “He already has.”

“I don’t think he’s even started, Torz. He’ll pick you off one by one. You, your team, the governors. Once the military is flustered with protecting the governing body, he’ll unleash hell, and believe me, he has the means to do so—I’ve seen his armoury. I’ve seen the numbers he’s already recruited...and more are joining by the day. My people are scared and desperate. Russo is telling them what they want to hear. I am losing my team to either him or that rich Linxos bastard. I have no sway anymore, and the Puran governor never had any to start with. Russo will become a volatile, unstoppable force.”

“But the lockdown—”

“Torz, it doesn’t stop him. I don’t know how, but his ships are getting through.”

The fear fermenting in my stomach was not my own. Torz was crumbling, and I caught my breath, stifling the impact roaring across our bond.

Physically twirling in a circle of despair, Torz raked his hands through his already tousled hair. “Shit. Marla.”

What?

Jealousy seeped its cold liquid through my chest as Torz pushed through the bowing green branches with urgency—no doubt in search of Zuli’s minion who had ensnared my Damson. His protectiveness over Marla was beyond concerning. Could he not see he was in as much danger as she was, if not more?

I went to follow him, to make him see reason, but Saul stepped in front of me.

“Let me talk to him,” he said, giving me no time to object.

Stunned, watching my commander and colleague disappear over the grassy mound, I pushed down the rage bubbling within me. Everything was out of my control. Everything was confusing, disjointed, and wrong.

I glanced at Chaz tying a strip of fabric around the Puran woman’s arm. Even though I’d shot her, thankfully it appeared to be a surface wound. But blood oozed from the gash with no sign of stopping anytime soon.