When he finally turned back to the message, hovering like a mirage within the dark shallow bowl of the unit’s viewing area, it was just in time to see it vanish of its own accord.

Later that night, Ty opened his eyes to find the keen edge of a blade held close to his throat. A moment later a hand clamped over his mouth.

‘Not a fucking sound,’ said Weil, leaning over him. ‘Do you hear me? So much as a squeak, and I’ll skin you alive before I cut your throat.’

Ty nodded, dizzyingly aware of the blade pressed against his flesh. He hadn’t even been sleeping, just resting with his eyes closed on the bed. Weil had entered the room and pushed the knife against his throat without making a sound.

‘I know who you are,’ Weil hissed. ‘I knew the second I set eyes on you. I was part of the detail sent to receive you from the Territories, but you got away before we could pick you up.’

Ty panted, his breath whistling sporadically through his nostrils. His bladder felt on the verge of unleashing a tide of urine.

‘I lost a brother because of what you did, you and the rest of those Uchidan god-fuckers. He wasn’t even a soldier, just a teacher – a whole school bombed out of existence. We never even had a body to bury. Because of you.’

Ty could feel the moist warmth of the man’s breath on his face. ‘I don’t know how long they’re going to keep you here,’ Weil continued, ‘but it makes me sick to have to wait on you. Part of me wants to kill you right now,’ he added, the knife moving infinitesimally closer to Ty’s jugular, the pressure of its blade like a line of fire against his skin. ‘Do you understand what I’m saying?’

Ty realized the other man was waiting for an answer, and he nodded under the palm of Weil’s hand.

‘I warned my superiors. I told them who you were, but they refused to let me execute you. All because of something on that frigate.’ Weil leaned in a little closer. ‘Fuck that. The instant I think you’re going to walk out of here, I’ll be back. Me and my friend here,’ he added, twitching the knife a little. ‘Are you scared? Because you’d better be fucking scared, Whitecloud. I’m not finished with you yet.’

Suddenly the pressure was gone and Ty sat up abruptly, hyperventilating, grabbing at his throat even as Weil lurched out of the door and slammed it shut.

Ty stumbled off the bed and over to the armchair, pulling himself into a tight ball and moaning with terror.

Gradually his eyes fixed on the darkened city beyond the window. He had been a fool to hesitate for so long; anything was better than staying here a second longer than necessary.