“Look out!” the bartender shouted.
Danny spun aside as the sarlen cue shattered to splinters against the bar top beside him. “Seriously, guys, can’t we just—” A punch flew at his head, and he ducked it. Another came at his ribs, and he parried that, too. Then, together, they rushed him. Aw, come on!
Fighting to get free as the blows began to land, Danny glared past the mob toward the man in the hat. He was just sitting there, enjoying his whiskey and taking his time as if he hadn’t a care in the world.
Are you kidding me? His arms pinned, Danny doubled over, breathless, when another fist slammed into his gut.
The man rose from his stool.
“Any frickin’ time now, Lee!”
Lee Summerston’s fist plowed through the temple of one of the miners, crumpling him to the floor. “Sorry, Danny, but far be it from me to interrupt a man’s first drink after a hard day’s work. How come you let these fellas get the best of you, anyway?”
“It’s four on one, Lee!” Danny dodged another swipe at his face. “Kinda hard when they jump you at once!”
Lee slid aside when one of the miners broke off from Danny to come after him. That, in turn, freed up Danny to take on the other two. Within seconds, all four men were groaning on the floor.
“How’d you find me?” Danny asked between breaths.
“First things first, brother.” The full brunt of Lee’s right cross slammed through Danny’s jaw.
Stunned, Danny recoiled. “What the hell, man?”
“That’s for lettin’ us all think you were dead, you heartless ass.”
Danny dabbed his lip. “You done?”
“For now.”
The bartender cut in. “Gentlemen, if I may? These men are usually joined right about now by their friends from second shift. You may want to go.”
Lee tipped his hat to the man. “Much obliged.”
The two darted for the door and bolted out into the street.
“So, I presume if you’re here, the others aren’t far behind.” Danny rounded the corner into the first alley they came to, and the world went vertical in a blaze of new pain.
“You selfish bastard!” The accent was thick, pissed off, and unmistakable Scottish. “I’d kick yer wee little arse right now if Lee’d let me!”
Danny lay facedown in the snow as the other cheek began to throb. “Good to see you, too, Hamish. How’ve ya been?”
“Worried sick for one of ma best lads, that’s how!” Hamish put his hands on his hips, his broad, dark-skinned face a partial silhouette in the moonlight. “Really, Danny, who does that to his friends—just ups and leaves like that?”
The air rocketed from Danny’s lungs when Hamish ripped him up by the arm and threw him into a bear hug. Danny gasped. “Happy to explain if you’ll put me down.”
Hamish huffed but did as asked.
Danny coughed and loosened his collar. “Everybody good now that they’ve gotten their shots in?”
“Don’t bet on it, Slick.” Mac Summerston emerged from the shadows and halted next to her husband. “I plan to take a slice of your hide, too, before this is all over.”
Danny threw her a sideways look. “Appreciate the respite, Mac. Good to see you, too. Guess that just leaves—” Danny whirled at the sound of crunching snow behind him and sidestepped a boot as it swung fast through the air where his crotch had been. Danny caught it by the ankle, twisted hard, and planted its wailing owner in the snow. “Really, Link? A cheap shot to the nuts? That’s low even for you.”
“Kiss my ass, Crockett!” Link sucked in a breath from his back. “You’re lucky I didn’t just snipe your shit off from the rooftop when I had the chance.”
Danny pulled Link to his feet then stepped back to study the group as a whole. They were all there, his oldest and dearest friends in the world. His family. They were also the last four people in the galaxy who Danny wanted to see.
A gust of frozen wind whooped through the alleyway behind them.
“Okay, so what now?” Danny raised his palms. “We gonna hug it out and be friends again or keep on with this little game of Slap Bet we’ve got going?”
Lee folded his arms. “Reckon that depends on you. Come back to Aura with us, and we’ll talk.”
“Can’t do that, Lee, much as I’d like to.” Danny stared at the ground. “I’ve got unfinished business out here, and I can’t come home till it’s done.”
Lee put his hands in his coat pockets. “Yeah, we’ve been hearin’ about that for a while now. Lots of folks have. Even got to see you in action earlier tonight.”
Danny recalled the Newbern flyby outside of Faridon’s Ravine. “I kind of thought that was you.”
“You’re welcome, asshat,” Link said.
“Why’d you guys hang outside the pub, anyway?” Danny aimed a thumb over his shoulder. “You’d already shown yourselves, so why not all come in at once?”
“I figured you’d probably spot us as a group,” Lee said. “Couldn’t risk you makin’ a run for it and gettin’ past us. So, I came in alone while Hamish and the others waited around the block.”
Danny grinned. “I love ya, bro, but inconspicuous was never really your bag. Dig the hat, by the way. Very Stevie Ray Vaughan.”
Lee’s expression fell anvil flat.
“Okay, moving on.” Danny took the hint. “Where are you guys—”
Sounds of a scuffle came from around the corner, and Danny peered past it to investigate.
“What is it?” Lee asked.
Danny counted three green uniforms and one gray, all talking to the miners outside of the pub. So much for not drawing attention to myself. He frowned and returned to the group. “Looks like our little tiff with the locals has security out and about. They’re on scene.”
“Wonderful.” Link grunted.
“We need to go, lads,” Hamish said.
“My thoughts exactly,” Danny agreed. “Where are you guys moored?”
“Hangar ninety-one,” Mac said. “It’s over in Y Block, but if we hurry, I think we can make it.”
Danny shook his head. “Not a chance. You’ve got the outer checkpoint to deal with plus two inspections stations on your way to Y. No way you make that without at least one stop.”
“You got a better idea?” Lee asked.
Danny’s eyes rolled skyward. Man, this just isn’t my day. “My ship’s in E Block, which is way closer. You can bunker in with us.”
Mac put up her hands. “Hold on, champ, how do you know security isn’t sweeping the early blocks first? We could get caught up there just as easy as we could in Y.”
“Not likely.” Danny reached into his shirt and pulled out his lanyard, the imperial seal embossed on its face for all to see. “Diplomatic immunity, so to speak.”
Lee’s eyes narrowed. “One day you’ll have to explain to me how you came by those.”
“Why wait?” Danny tucked away the lanyard. “Come on. I’ll tell you on the way.”
* * * * *
Chapter 5: Overlook
After watching Danny flash his Alystierian credentials to port security, Lee pulled his hat low again and followed his friend through the gate, the others trailing closely behind. Part of him still couldn’t believe it. They’d found him. They’d actually found him. How long has it been, Danny? Ten months? Eleven? Lee couldn’t recall. So much about the time since Danny’s disappearance had been a blur to him. Between the briefings and the drops and the enemy skirmishes, all of which had seemingly quadrupled in recent months, Lee had been lucky to get four hours of sleep on any given night. There hadn’t been a lot of time for a manhunt, but he’d refused to give up. Even when Danny had officially been declared KIA, he’d kept at it. He’d found nothing but a whisper here, a rumor there. But then, one day about four months ago, Lee had heard tell of a rogue Beyonder centurion wreaking havoc on imperial operations out here in the rim, and everything had changed. All he needed now were answers. Why’d you do it, Danny? Why’d you cut us
out? Whatever you were feelin’, man, whatever you were goin’ through, we could’ve helped you.
Lee shuddered when another gust sought to freeze him solid. He despised the cold, always had. And yet he’d have endured it for an eternity if it meant having his family back together. That was all that had ever mattered.
“Hey, Crockett,” Link growled from the rear of the pack. “How much farther to your ship?”
That got a chuckle from Danny. “Aw, come on, Link. I thought if anybody in our group could handle the cold, it’d be the guy from Colorado.”
Link grunted. “Maybe, but this guy from Colorado thinks his nipples are gonna shoot off and hit you in the back of the head if he doesn’t find some heat. Besides, I’m not the one who got a cozy reprieve by a roaring fireplace earlier.”
“That’s fair.” Danny pointed to the second of three warehouses next to a broken streetlight ahead. “You and your nipples can relax. We’re here.”
The group halted by the hangar’s side entrance and waited for Danny to key in his access code. The panel chimed then flashed “Granted” in green.
A rush of warmth saturated Lee’s face when the door swung open. It felt downright amazing. Not for a second, though, did he think that short-sleeve temperatures were all that awaited them inside. He unbuckled the holster for his sidearm.
“Home, sweet home.” Danny gestured them inside.
“Oh, no, no, dearest.” Mac didn’t budge. “We’re gonna let the host take point on this one.”
“What?” Danny smirked. “You guys don’t trust me?”
Lee held his ground while the others formed up behind him. “You really gonna ask us that?”
Danny exhaled and led them into the main chamber.
As expected, there wasn’t much inside. Rusted metal walls, a handful of shoddy mechanic stations, and a concrete floor with countless grease stains—it was a hangar all right.
Even so, perhaps the only thing more dilapidated than the structure itself was the ship moored to its center platform: long and lean with a copperhead nose, flat bottom, and moth-style wings folded straight back along shoebox nacelles. Lee pegged it for a trash barge of some kind though the litany of patches, scars, and cannibalized parts lining its hull made even that tough to discern. Whatever the thing was, it was no stranger to a salvage yard.
The metal side entrance groaned shut, and Danny threw the lock to preserve the room’s seventy-degree climate.
A collective gasp went out when he stripped off his coat and hat then stepped into the light.
Gone were Danny’s neat, blond crew cut and clean-shaven face. Now he wore a patchy beard covered in grime and hair the length of sandpaper. His bronze complexion, once the stuff of celebrity magazines, was also gone, replaced by nearly albino-white skin and a physique so lean it bordered on gaunt.
Lee almost didn’t recognize him.
Hamish was the first one to say it. “Bloody hell, Danny, what happened to you?”
Danny examined his frame, which was splotched with ale stains from the pub. “What can I say? We don’t exactly eat rib eye out here that often. Come to think of it, we don’t see many beaches, either.”
A series of clicks trickled across the air.
Weapons safeties. Lee spun back to the ship.
“Stand down, everybody,” Danny said. “They’re friendly.”
“So we’ve heard.” The voice was baritone and came from behind the port nacelle.
Lee turned that way—right hand primed at his thigh—and saw two men emerge. The first was an older fellow. Of modest height with a scarecrow’s build, he had a distinguished look about him with high cheekbones and sugar-white hair. The other man was his polar opposite. Tall and brutish, he sported a fire-engine-red crew cut with a curly beard and a massive build visible through a gray T-shirt.
“Everybody.” Danny turned to the men. “Allow me to introduce Dr. Obadiah Khard, my chief medical officer, and Wade Shotzel, head of ship’s logistics.”
“My friends call me Shotz.”
Lee guessed from the big man’s smugness that his admonition wasn’t an invitation to friendship. That was fine. Lee had plenty of friends.
Footsteps clanked against metal, and the group turned to see two more men descend the boarding ramp. One was a spindly kid in his late teens, maybe twenty, with bronze skin and spiky, jet-black hair. The other needed no introduction.
“Good to see you again, Captain Summerston.” Reegan extended a hand.
“Corporal.” Lee shook it.
“It’s just Reeg, now, sir. I left the stripe behind a while ago.”
“I can tell.” Lee pointed to the ponytail. “A lot of infantry folks were sad to see you go. Rumor even has it that Anders had you pegged as his second on the next rotation. I could make a call if you’re still interested.”
Reegan stared at the ground. “I appreciate that, sir. I really do. But after Coralin 3, the Auran Star Corps just didn’t feel much like home anymore. I needed to go my own way.”
Lee understood. Everyone in the ASC had known of Reegan’s respect for Danny, dating all the way back to his days as a grunt in basic. He’d come from the same Mimic training program that’d produced the Renegades, and he’d idolized them for years, so much so that he’d fought for assignment to Danny’s unit once he’d graduated. They’d been tight, too, right up until the point when Danny had gone missing.
“So, how’d you find me?” Danny asked.
Lee raised a shoulder. “Honestly, I had my suspicions the day you left the Praetorian.”
Danny cocked his head. “Really.”
“Yep. Your story was just too neat, what with the ring, the FSU runnin’ lights, and no witnesses save an alien stranger to corroborate it all. Then I started hearin’ stories about some rogue centurion wagin’ a one-man guerilla war on Masterson. The pieces came together pretty quick after that.” Lee cocked his head. “Love your callin’ card, by the way: ‘I know where you live.’ Real subtle.”
Danny huffed. “It’s an inside thing between me and the chancellor.”
“I figured,” Lee said. “The final nail the coffin came about two weeks ago when I got wind of some badass new combatant making the rounds on the underground Kachuro circuit in Detron City.”
Danny looked sideways. “So? There are a lot of guys on that circuit.”
“That’s true.” Lee raised a finger. “But none of them demand a nonnegotiable 6.835 percent vig on all fight wagers. That rang a few bells, pun intended.”
Danny smacked the back of Reegan’s head. “You greedy little cuss, did you want us to get found? What were you thinking?”
“Of course not,” Reegan shot back. “But you told me to get us the absolute maximum return possible with minimal risk to our assets, and this was the best way I knew how to do that. I’ve booked matches for years with this formula—yours back home included—and it never fails to put me topside of the earnings column.”
“Oh, so it’s all right to risk our freedom but not our accounts.” Danny snorted. “Damn it, Reeg, what am I gonna do with you?”
“Give it a rest, Danny. It ain’t like you’re the poster child for stealth yourself,” Lee said. “Between your Dear Abby notes to Masterson and the whole Jonas Blane, color-theme thing you got goin’ on with your radio chatter, you weren’t exactly hard to find once your trail got hot.”
Danny raised an eyebrow. “That was a secure channel.”
“So, yeah—what has two thumbs and tier-nine code-breaker status?” Mac wiggled her thumbs then pointed them inward. “This girl. Love the ship name, by the way. Overlook? Always was a King fan myself.”
Danny frowned.
“Overlook, my ass. Outhouse is more like it.” Link scoffed at the rickety vessel meant for sanitations. “Hey, Crockett, do you guys charge by the deposit or the pound? I only ask because I scarfed a double-Bufford with cheese on the way over here, and I might need to send the Browns to the Super Bowl later if you know what I mean.”
“Easy, Remy.” Danny put a hand on the kid’s shoulder.
Link blinked then looked at Hamish. “Who the hell is this?”
Hamish raised a shoulder.
Link returned to the kid. “Hey, Chicken Boy! Say no to drugs every once in a while and maybe you’ll be able to string a sentence together. Frickin’ tweaker!”
Shotz stepped forward; so did Hamish.
“Okay, everybody, chill out.” Danny stepped between them. “You too, Link.”
Link snorted. “Whatever, Crockett. Tell this little bitch to—”
“Call him a little bitch again, Link, and see what happens.”
Visibly caught off guard, Link backed off when Danny squared his shoulders.
“Everybody,” Danny said once cooler heads had prevailed, “this is Tynako Remson. Remy, this is Lee and Mac Summerston, Hamish Lunley, and Link Baxter. They’re old friends of mine.”
Remy peered out from behind Doc’s back and gave a small wave. “Grav coupler’s all good, bossman. Handled it while you were out.”
“Nice.” Danny massaged the back of his own scalp. “Ops doesn’t exactly have room for crash couches, and I’m sick of hitting my head when we jump to FTL.”
Remy clicked his tongue and paced a full circle around the ramp. “Okay—bye.” He vanished back into the ship.
No one spoke.
“Fine, I’ll play the token asshole here and ask the obvious.” Link raised his hand. “What’s wrong with that kid? They crack his test tube in gestation or something?”
Danny rolled his eyes. “Shut up, Link.”
“Remy suffers from Perryman Syndrome,” Doc said, stepping forward.
“Perry, what?” Mac asked.
“It’s a behavioral disorder that impairs social and cognitive functions. Hence his…” Doc searched for the right word. “Eccentricities.”
Mac hesitated. “Did something…happen to him, or was he born that way?”
At Circle's End Page 5