They were kept in the room for five days. Guards remained outside the door; they could hear them walking about, and the occasional rumble of low voices. They were permitted to use a toilet next door and once a day allowed to wash in the small basin there. At those times a female Helot would stay with them, a sour-looking woman who carried a carbine as easily as the men. Geranium, particularly, found it hard to strip down and clean herself with the woman never shifting her gaze away. They were fed twice a day, and the food was reasonable, but all they had to drink was tap water, which they suspected came from the same basin in the bathroom.

For Sarti, the treatment was the same. Since her refusal to join the Talon, she had been relegated to the status of a prisoner. The woman said little, and spent most of her time next to her mistress, seeking comfort. Geranium felt she had little to give, but at least having her old slave there was some consolation. The woman said she had entered their hotel room as ordered, to collect there things, but there were already two Helots there. They had fired a warning shot to stop her running, and brought her at gunpoint to this house. There they demanded she become one of them, and threatened to sell her in the slave market if she refused. She would be there now, no doubt, had the other two not arrived. Perhaps it would have been a better fate.

They spoke in whispers as they sat together on the thin mattresses that were the only furniture in the room. Leaning against the white, cracked walls, staring at nothing, they at first discussed possible plans for escape, then languished into details of their past lives and families. By the third day, there was almost total silence while they sat and stared at the walls.

In these talks, Maddy informed Geranium of the plan she'd uncovered in the ghost: transmissions between Zeus and someone named Ursula—who was nevertheless linked to a man called Stefan Rix—regarding the mining ship Shepherd Moon. It seemed crazy, that anyone would wish to bring an asteroid so close to Earth and destroy the Earth or the Moon with it. But it was clear that was the intention. Just as insane was the idea that Zeus, the main AI information system of the galaxy, would seek to be part of the plan.

'But that's the Syndicate doing this!' said Geranium. 'The Syndicate wouldn't destroy itself. It doesn't make sense. You're wrong!'

That it didn't make sense was the most disturbing thing about it. She hoped she was wrong, that the messages the ghost had intercepted were simply a hoax, or code for something else, but it was too dangerous to take that chance. She tried several times to speak to Reed, but the guards didn't even pretend to listen to her demands to see him.

On the third day they heard some sort of argument going on in another part of the house: Reed and Campillo shouting at each other. Perhaps there was a dispute over Geranium's proposed ransom. The words were mostly indistinguishable, with Reed much more the speaker. The face of the guard when food was brought to them afterwards was strained. Perhaps the argument had been settled violently.

But by the fifth day, as hope faded that Reed intended to do anything about what Maddy had told him, they lapsed into almost total silence. The hours ticked by. Geranium in particular found without her fone that she lost track of time completely. As there were no windows, she was unable to tell whether it was morning or evening. She spent most of that day dozing. Maddy sat propped against a wall, hands on her knees.

They were roused by sudden noises in the next room: a series of shouted words, a slammed door, running feet. Geranium raised herself on one elbow and glanced at Maddy. The woman had her eyes open, head on one side, listening.

Voices in the next room, and the distinct sound of a carbine being cocked. Then the door opened and two men came in, a guard who pointed his weapon at the women and Reed Hasur. The Helot leader was putting on a shirt as he entered.

They're going to kill us, thought Geranium, who had the barrel of the carbine pointed directly at her face.

'Up!' shouted Reed.

Maddy rose and nodded to Geranium, who also stood up and gave a hand for Sarti. The guard immediately stepped away from the door and indicated with the weapon to exit the room.

They're going to take us outside. They're going to shoot us now. Her legs almost gave way under her as they were herded out.

In the next room, a dozen Helots were busy. Some were putting up a barricade of furniture against the outer door. Others put shutters over the few windows. Several were distributing weapons, which Geranium noted were not carbines but hand guns and grenades, which they proceeded to hide under their clothes. Two women Helots, including the sour-faced one, were destroying some AI's and fones, pushing them into an incinerator.

Reed inspected the barricade and went to his chair.

'You will ignore everything you see!' he said. He lifted two items off his chair: the ghost, and Geranium's fone. These he put into a small sack which he slung over his shoulder.

'We are leaving here,' he said to Maddy and Geranium. 'You will come with us.'

'Let us go,' said Maddy. 'We'd slow you down.'

'If I thought you were a burden I'd just shoot you,' grunted Reed.

A door opened and Campillo stumbled in, shoved hard by a Helot guard. The man dusted his suit down as he glared at Reed.

'What's all this about? Do you know what time it is?'

Reed sneered at him. 'Our agreement is ended,' he said. 'We are leaving.'

The man looked about the room, seemed to grasp the significance of the furious activity. He swore.

'Whose stupid idea is that?'

A guard pushed Campillo from behind and the man collapsed to his knees. His neat salesman's suit was creased, his tie askew. He kept glancing back and forth between his guard and Reed.

'You were a fool, Campillo!' shouted Reed. This house is about to be raided by the police. Why did you make such demands to them?'

Campillo put his hands up. 'We agreed the girl would be ransomed! I did it on your suggestion!'

'But such a sum! Not even her parents were wealthy enough to pay.'

Her parents! Geranium squirmed, but Maddy's firm grasp on her hand warned her not to say anything. They know I've been captured. Mother will... For the first time since she'd been taken prisoner, Geranium felt a glimmer of hope. Her parents wouldn't let mere terrorists kidnap her. They must have alerted the police, who had decided to raid the terror cell.

She squeezed Maddy's hand to let her know she was all right.

Reed nodded to the guard behind Campillo, who aimed his carbine and squeezed the trigger. Campillo collapsed onto the floor, blood spraying from half a dozen bullets holes in his back.

Geranium screamed. Sarti hugged her again, hiding her mistress's face against her chest.

'Is that going to happen to us?' said Maddy.

Reed shook his head. 'Don't worry, you may still be useful.' He pointed at the body of Campillo, who lay on his face, arms flung out as blood leaked from under his body. 'But if you make trouble, if you don't obey orders instantly, you will be shot. Is that clear?'

They nodded. Maddy eased Geranium away from her chest and stared at the girl's face. 'It's all right. Just do what I do.'

'Come,' said Reed. 'It's time.'

Two Helots fell in behind them, each with a carbine. Reed led the way into the room where Maddy had originally overpowered the man assigned to kill her, and then into another part of the building. At the far end was a room full of stores. Helots were removing bricks from a shored-up archway. Through the other side was part of the slave market. Reed used a key to open a thick steel door at the end of a short corridor. As they emerged into the room containing the Helot pens, the tall figure of Richard Marshall could be seen bending over someone at the central desk. It was Elsa Graham, who had shown the pens to Geranium just a few days before. Marshall glanced at the women once, then stepped away from Elsa, who remained oddly still in her chair.

Reed said, 'Campillo's dead.'

'So's this bitch. The slaves have gone. Some of your people came through a few moments ago, shot her and released the stock.' Marshall didn't seem too upset.

Geranium stared at the body. Blood trickled from a hole in the woman's chest. It seemed a harsh end for her, who after all was just doing her job.

Marshall eyed the Helot guards that accompanied the others into the room. 'Does our agreement still stand?'

'Yes. Don't fear. Campillo's money was useful, and his Helots too. But you work for me now.'

'Where are the other guards?' Maddy asked. Apart from the Helots, no one else was around.

'Gone,' said Marshall, actually winking at her. 'Campillo was a moron. He knew too much. The men scattered when we were tipped off about the police raid.'

'You aren't very loyal,' said Geranium. 'My father—'

'Shut up!' Marshall raised a hand as if about to strike her, but paused. Beside her mistress, Sarti screamed.

'Enough!' said Reed. 'We have no time for your hatred, Marshall.'

They passed through other doors until a set of steps led down. Geranium took them carefully as they were damp and felt greasy under her feet, holding Sarti's hand as if to steady the woman, but also to help keep her own balance. Bare rock formed the walls and before them stretched an ancient tunnel, lit by a series of lights. To Geranium it seemed to stretch on forever.

They could only proceed single file. A Helot guard went first, then Marshall, then Reed. Behind him came another Helot, then the three woman, with a line of a dozen more Helots at the tail. For several minutes they stepped along, the Sapes ducking under each low-hung light as they went.

After a few minutes the tunnel opened out into an underground chamber, bare and sandy. They halted, and two of the Helot guards forced the women against the wall, covering them with their guns.

On the other side of the cavern, the others were working at another wall, making an opening. It was night outside. A cold breeze came in, stirring the dust on the floor. With a final tumble, a number of stones gave way to make a dark exit big enough to squeeze through. Beyond it were a few buildings with lights in their windows and a dull mass of hill rising on the other side of the city's dome.

There was a loud boom and a flash of flame from the other end of the passage they'd followed.

'They've found us!' shouted Marshall. 'Quick!'

Several Helots took up defensive positions with their weapons pointed back into the cave. Another Helot moved back across the cave to the tunnel entrance and was busy there for a few moments. When he returned he nodded to Reed, who urged the other Helots to continue clearing the rubble away from the hole in the wall.

The sound of running feet came from the tunnel. Just as lights appeared Reed nodded to the Helot at the tunnel entrance, who ran back to the others and pressed a contact on a small device he held.

There was a dull crack and the roof of the tunnel gave way, falling in a cloud of dust to block the entrance.

'Good,' said Reed.

'Neat.' Marshall flapped his hand in front of his face as dust drifted over to the group.

Geranium heard another rumble behind her and turned to see the hole in the wall had been widened enough to walk through. The street outside seemed deserted.

'Out,' said Reed.

Sounds from the tunnel: a machine seemed to be working at the fallen stone. On their side the rubble shifted as something heavy moved on the other side of the pile.

'They're coming!' Marshall pulled his pistol out and aimed it at Maddy. 'I say we get rid of the hostages.'

'No!' Reed slapped at Marshall's hand. 'Out!'

A Helot indicated with his gun for them to exit. Just as Geranium shoved Sarti through and turned to look at Maddy, the rubble at the tunnel entrance gave way. A metallic object came through, some sort of hand that had penetrated the debris. The Helots nearby opened fire at the thing, which pulled back slightly as bullets struck it.

'A paranoid,' said Marshall. 'Guess they mean business.'

Geranium crawled through the hole into the street as gunfire began again inside the cave. Reed and Marshall came next, followed by two Helots. The street had a few vehicles on it.

A gun poked into Geranium's back.

I really wish they wouldn't keep doing that.

Grabbing Sarti's hand she followed the other along the street for a few metres. An old shed loomed up which Marshall opened with a key. Inside was a dilapidated vehicle that might once have been a van, but had been reinforced with plate armour along the sides. Marshall climbed into the driver's seat as Reed assembled the others at the back.

'No noise!' he said to Maddy and Geranium. 'Get in!'

They climbed inside and sat on small bucket seats, followed by the two Helot guards. Reed climbed in beside Marshall as he fired up the engine. A deep rumble revealed that the motor had also been upgraded to deal with the increased weight of the armour.

The van pulled out of the shed and past the exit to the cave. The sound of shooting was wild now. The van pulled up and several Helots ran for the back door. Three more Helots backed out into the street, firing weapons into the hole. There was no room in the van for them all.

Reed leaned out of the window and shouted at them. 'No need to hold here! Fall back to the rendezvous. You know what to do!'

The van accelerated again, turning at the end of the alley into a wider street.

Reed was on a comlink, shouting orders to someone. The van rocked back and forth, throwing Geranium around in her seat. There were no windows, and her only means of seeing out was over the shoulders of Reed and Marshall, but she couldn't tell what part of the city they might be in. In the night all buildings seemed the same, and in her terror she couldn't take in anything that made sense.

She looked again at Sarti, then at Maddy, but both were in their own worlds. If Maddy was thinking, perhaps devising some means of escape, it was impossible to tell. The van swung around a sharp corner at high speed; Geranium had to grab a hold of her seat to stay in it.

Then it slowed. Harsh lights appeared outside, and something hard struck the wall of the van just behind Geranium's head. The thick plate armour stopped the bullet, but the sound was enough to make her shout out loud. Marshall gunned the engine and swerved; there was a thud as the vehicle hit something—or someone—and accelerated again along the street.

'Fucking cops,' muttered Marshall. Reed didn't pause talking into his comlink.

Wherever they were going, it seemed they were taking a long time to get there, or perhaps Geranium's fear just made the journey seem that way. A plastics factory loomed up and she thought for a moment they might be going to crash through the gate, but at the last second the van swerved and continued on its journey. Perhaps Marshall was trying to lose the police, perhaps he was just trying to confuse everyone.

They came to another gate, and this time a Helot opened it at the last minute. Marshall drove through towards a low but almost windowless building. The van screeched to a halt outside a set of double steel doors.

Reed climbed out and talked to the Helot who had opened the gate, who came running up breathlessly. He was old and overweight, unusual in Helots who spent so much of their lives doing hard labour. Perhaps his age had allowed him to move to more sedentary duties. He had Reed put their heads together for a few minutes. Marshall sat in the driver's seat, tapping out a weird rhythmless beat on the steering wheel with his thumbs.

Eventually Reed climbed back into the van while the old Helot walked away towards the doors of the building. He swivelled in his seat to look at the two captives.

'Here is what's happening,' he said. 'We are going to leave Mars. You will be coming with us.' Maddy shifted in her seat and he added, 'You have permission this one time to speak.'

'You can leave us here,' she said. 'Or at least Geranium. She's done nothing wrong and she's now useless to you as a hostage. And you know I won't give the authorities any information.'

He seemed to consider it for a moment. Then, 'No. You mentioned something was contained in that ghost. Something important. I need you to find it for me. And as for her...' Geranium fancied his fingers hovered over his sidearm for a moment. 'She comes too.'

The doors of the building opened to reveal a dark interior. As soon as there was enough room Marshall powered the van inside. The doors halted and began to close. The old Helot shuffled along beside the van as they drove into what seemed an enormous enclosed space.

The lights came on to reveal they were in a space ship hanger.

There was only one ship there, but its solitude inside the vast room merely emphasised its presence. It was about fifty metres long, basically little more than a thrust tunnel mounted over triple lifters and topped by a habitation cylinder. Geranium had never seen anything like it. She was used to slim, sleek space yachts. Her mother's old ship the Calliope, which had disappeared somewhere after Maddy and her associates had stolen it, had been a most luxurious affair. Even the commercial liner she'd come to Mars in had more style than this bucket. The door to the ship was open, accessed by a short flight of ladder rungs attached to the hull.

The back door of the van opened and they climbed out. Geranium was now desperate to pee; their escape had made her nervous. As they were shoved over to the ship's ladder she broke her silence to inform Reed of this.

'No! Keep going!' He had his sidearm out again and gestured towards the ladder. Above them, a hole appeared above the ship as the roof rolled back.

Sirens blared from outside the main door and lights were visible through the few windows on that side.

'They're here! Hurry!' Reed gave an extra shove on Maddy's shoulder and she started to climb the ladder. Two of the Helots hung back, carbines pointed at the main doors. Sarti waited at the foot of the ladder watching Maddy as she climbed. Geranium would be next. She could feel the ship come alive, the whole craft vibrating as the lifters were powered up ready to raise the ship through the hole in the roof.

Something heavy struck the main door. Over her shoulder, Geranium could see the doors shiver. Another huge blow. The light increased as the main door gave way and started to slide open. Flashing lights appeared from several vehicles parked outside.

'This is the police!' roared a paranoid that came trundling into the hangar. It was all bright steel and ceramic armour, a sphere a metre wide stepping on articulated legs. A red light flashed on its crown. Both Helots aimed their guns but didn't fire. Their carbine bullets would make no impression on the thing.

A hole appeared in the paranoid's sphere and the barrel of a gun emerged. 'Surrender or you will be fired upon!'

Geranium turned to the ladder, about to climb. The paranoid swung the gun on her. With a yell, Sarti flung herself in front of her mistress.

The placement of the two bullets was precise, catching Sarti in the upper body. She screamed and fell against Geranium, who caught her.

'Sarti!'