Rising Tide by Rajan Khanna Page A

you out of here.”
    â€œI told you, Miranda, I didn’t expect it to go this way.”
    â€œYou never do.”
    â€œMal wasn’t going to let me go. He was going to let me sink with the ship. I know him. He made you a promise, sure, but all he promised to do was to keep me on the ship. He would have done that. Until we both went under. I thought that this way I would have a chance.”
    â€œIn return for me.”
    I throw up my hands in frustration. “I know. I know. He outmaneuvered me.”
    Miranda’s silent.
    â€œThis is the only play I saw that I could make. I know someone. Someone I think can help Mal out. If I can convince her to help, I’ll be able to get back here and you’ll be safe. And at least I’ll have bought myself some time. Time to hopefully figure something else out.”
    â€œWho is this someone?” Her tone is flat. Clinical.
    â€œAnother person I go way back with.”
    She shakes her head. “That doesn’t bode well.”
    â€œI can do this,” I say. “I’ll either get help or else I’ll figure something out. But no matter what, I’m coming back for you.”
    She closes her eyes for a moment. “I’d like to believe that, Ben. And I know that you want to. But this is a big gamble.”
    It hurts, to be honest. That Miranda doesn’t believe in me.
    â€œMiranda . . .”
    â€œBen,” she says. “We’re so close. I have the data from Gastown. I can make some real progress here. And then . . . this.” She’s talking about data about the Bug that she stole from a lab on Gastown. A group of scientists there were studying it for use as a weapon. Miranda thinks it will help her in her search for a cure.
    â€œI didn’t do this to hurt you,” I say.
    â€œI know,” she says.
    â€œPlease believe me, I’m not going to let you go down with this ship. I promise you. We both need to make it back to Tamoanchan.” I drop my voice low on the name of the island. It’s a secret, and I don’t want Mal’s people to find out about it.
    Tamoanchan is where Miranda and I had been headed when the Cherub went down. Gastown raiders had found out the location of the island and were heading toward it to attack. I managed to take the raiders down, using my airship as a bomb. It stopped the immediate threat, but that doesn’t mean that Tamoanchan is okay. The raiders must still have the location of the island. Friends—Rosie and Diego—went ahead of us to warn the island, but who knows if they were able to evacuate in time or even where they would go. We have no idea if they’re okay or not.
    â€œI worry about Sergei and Clay,” Miranda says, talking about her colleagues back on Tamoanchan. They’re also boffins, scientists, out to find a cure for the Bug. We left Sergei and Clay behind a couple of weeks ago now. If the island is in danger, then they are too.
    â€œWe’ll get back to them,” I say. “Both of us.”
    Her expression is devoid of any emotion. “I hope so.”
    â€œI’ll come back,” I say. “You’ll see.”
    She meets my eyes but doesn’t say anything.
    â€œMiranda, I—”
    I’m interrupted by the reappearance of Mal’s guards, ready to take me away.
    â€œGood-bye, Ben,” Miranda says.
    I can’t bring myself to say it back to her.

    Mal stands before a table, upon which there are several items of clothing. “Your clothes,” Mal says. “Dried from your immersion in the ocean. I didn’t do anything about the stains.”
    I reach for my pants—old, worn denim—and shed the pants I’m wearing, which are thin and shapeless. Being unclothed in front of Mal and his people is strange—I’ve only ever really been naked alone, or with Claudia, or, far back, with Dad—but putting on my pants, my old, familiar pants,