It ends on a cliffhanger; but then, it’s actually a book. I REGRET NOTHING
“What do you mean, all the prisoners died?” Jim almost yelled at Alex.
The two of them were sitting at a lovingly reconstructed Mr. Chips. The proprietor claimed that he was the last remaining original franchisee of the pre-Invasion fast food chain; Jim could only assume that the prices weren’t as nearly as high, back then. But the chips were good.
Alex looked as angry as Jim did. “Exactly that. Some damned fool put all three survivors in the same transport wagon, and somebody shot a poison gas bolt into it. The guards had their filters in, but…”
“But why bother giving them to prisoners? Anybody attacking them would want to keep them alive, right?” Jim shook his head. “Damned cock-up.”
“Huh.” Jim looked at Alex, who looked a little chagrined. “Sorry. I’ve noticed you don’t like to use British slang much, that’s all.”
“I’m not very good at it, that’s all. So. Somebody wanted to interrogate me; and when that failed, somebody wanted to make sure we couldn’t interrogate them. Over the renegado?”
“It must be.” Alex took a chip, ate it, and gave a small shrug. “Nobody’s tried to kidnap you before, have they?”
“No. But we haven’t even started yet.”
“Yes, but do they know that?”
“Fair point.” He ate a few more chips. “Well, we’re committed now. I’m really motivated to get to the bottom of this. I don’t understand what’s going on here, and I don’t like it.” He meant it, too. There was something teasing him about the situation, and he couldn’t quite figure it out.
“True, but that’s not what worries me.” Alex said, tapping one chip against her plate.
“Oh? What’s bugging you?”
“They must have known that poking us like that would just make us curiouser and curiouser. And they still did it anyway.” She gave him a grim look. “What do they want to do that’s so important, that they’d take that risk?”