Read Sullivan Saga 2: Sullivan's Wrath for Free Online

ship?”
    “Actually,” said Hammond, “it’s easier than you think. The hyper-hyperspace technology was designed to be put into any ship with hyperspace capability. All of Mr. Alexander’s hyper-hyperspace ships were standard freighters that had been converted.”
    “All right. Now I know this has something to do with the entities. I think Allen wants to get back into hyper-hyperspace. Edaline’s new government must have salvaged the crashed ship, and the entities know about it. They want Allen for some reason. They’ve been trying to manipulate him from the beginning. Why else would one of them take Liz’s form?”
    “What could they want?” asked Kate.
    Sullivan shook his head. “I can’t imagine. But we do know their power is limited while they’re in our universe. They only have full control when they’re in hyperspace. Whatever it is, they must need him to do something for them here in our universe, and having that ship would allow him to do it a lot more quickly than if he has to travel via standard hyperspace.”
    “Well,” said Hammond, “he only has a few hours’ head start, but he’s in a faster ship. He’ll arrive almost a full day ahead of us. Still, I don’t think he’ll be able to find and steal the ship in that time.”
    “No, but he can disappear in that time. If he doesn’t want us to find him, we won’t. Which is why we won’t go looking for him. As soon as we arrive, we go looking for that ship.”
    Kate began piling the dishes. “Are you sure Edaline’s new government will even admit that they have it?”
    Sullivan stood and took the dishes from her. “Steve Hall is the new prime minister. We’re not the best of friends, but if he stonewalls us, I can turn to General Miller. I know he’ll at least hear us out.”
    Hammond took a sip from his glass. “Assuming Miller even knows about it.”
    “True. Actually, it might be better to try Miller first. If he does know about it, he’s more likely to tell us the truth,” said Sullivan. “But there’s no point in worrying about it just yet. Once we’re on Edaline, we’ll have to find out exactly what the situation is before we can make any moves.”
    Sullivan took the dishes to the washer and loaded them. He checked his watch. “We’ve all been up nearly twenty hours. Why don’t you two get some sleep, and I’ll take the first watch. Dale, I’ll wake you in six hours.”
    Hammond nodded and went aft to his cabin. Kate came to stand behind Sullivan in the kitchen. She put her arms around him. “We’ll find him, Rick. Don’t worry.”
    Sullivan sighed. “I thought we knew each other better than this. I thought he’d trust me, tell me the truth.”
    “What if he had? What would you have done?”
    “Well, it depends on what the truth is. Or what he thinks it is.”
    “Hammond said that Allen told him he wasn’t coming back. What do you think that means?”
    “It means that whatever he’s up to, it sounds final. Whatever the entities have been telling him has led him to believe that he won’t be coming back.”
    “You think he’s going to do anything to himself?”
    Sullivan shook his head. “He could have done that anytime, anywhere. He’s going to try to use the ship for some purpose, I’m sure of that. I just wish I knew what.”
    Kate kissed him on the side of the neck then put her hands on his shoulders. “You’re so tense, Rick. Let me give you a massage.”
    “No. I need to be tense right now. I need to stay awake to monitor the ship, and I need to think.”
    Kate nodded. “I’m going to get some sleep, then.”
    “All right. I’ll join you in six hours.”
    Sullivan watched her go then finished clearing the table. He made his way forward to the cockpit and checked the displays. Nothing seemed amiss. He pulled up the latest news from Edaline. It would have already been a month old by the time it reached Silvanus, but he wanted to be as informed as possible before they reached his home