Stars Beyond

by S. K. Dunstall

  He gestured to the passage and said to Brand, “Let’s walk you back to your ship.”

  “Hands above your head while you walk.” Josune kept her sparker aimed at Brand. She had out her stunner by now, too, and it was aimed at Pelin. “All of you. Keep them high, or one of us will shoot.”

  Brand gave her a filthy look but raised her arms.

  Jacques collected the agents’ weapons.

  “Move,” Roystan said. “Jacques, you and Carlos wait here and watch. Nika, you and Snow come with us. Stay alert. Josune?”

  “I’ll come with you. Be your eyes.”

  They were halfway to the airlock docking station when a wumph of hot air almost knocked them off their feet, sent Josune staggering back. The smell of burning plastic and heated metal hit them like an almost-physical force.

  Roystan brought up the screens even as Carlos called from the crew room. “Five more from the Justice ship have boarded. They’ve destroyed the docking door.”

  Roystan tapped a code into his handheld. “Close breach door two.” On-screen they watched the big breach doors snap close.

  “One made it through,” Josune said. “She’s coming this way. Fast. Carrying a—” She squinted at the screen. What was it they had? A long cylinder with a ball on the end. “It’s a riot gun. Stay low and cover your eyes and nose. It won’t knock you out, but it gets in your eyes and throat. Like a pepper spray.”

  She wasn’t fast enough. Two riot bombs hit the floor in front of them with a soft wumph. Acrid smoke billowed.

  Josune dropped to get below most of the smoke, forced her suddenly burning eyes to stay open so she’d be ready to shoot at the first sign of movement. Through the haze, she glimpsed the edge of a sleeve. She rolled, continued rolling, and fired a long burst of her stunner in a wide arc. She tried to take shallow breaths even though her mind screamed for more air. She heard two thumps, couldn’t see whom she’d hit.

  Roystan had rolled in the opposite direction. He fired at Bouwmeester and Korel. Both went down.

  Agent Brand grabbed Snow and pulled him into an embrace. She twisted a wire around his neck while she held a blaster to his temple.

  “Drop your weapons. All of you, or I’ll shoot.”

  Snow twisted in Brand’s grip, choked, and put his hands to his throat as he tried to tug away the thin wire.

  “Patience, boy. Your turn will come. Struggling will make you bleed more.”

  He took his hands away and pressed back, leaving a smear and a thin, glistening red necklace of blood.

  Nika, shirt pulled up to cover her nose and mouth, one hand clutching her cross and eyes half-closed, crowded as close as she could to Brand. “You’re not taking Snow.”

  “Back up, lady. Or I will shoot. He’s a wanted man. Dead or alive. It doesn’t matter either way. You shoot me, you’ll be garroting him.”

  Nika held her hands in the air. “My hands are empty. You shoot me and it’s murder. Shoot any of us and it’s murder.”

  Roystan touched Josune’s arm lightly and indicated the four unconscious agents. Josune nodded.

  “Good idea.” Brand had seen the movement. “Put my sorry shipmates onto an antigrav unit and bring them along. We’re heading back to our ship.”

  “There’s a trolley in that room.” Josune indicated a door farther down the corridor. The genemod studio. “We have to go past you to get it.”

  “Not likely.” Brand backed down the corridor, dragging Snow with her. She kept a firm hand on the wire and the blaster. Snow scratched at his neck, trying to loosen the wire.

  “Be careful with my property,” Nika snapped. “If he’s damaged and can’t do his work, I’ll sue you.” Nika’s hand had gone back to her cross.

  “His problem if he refuses to move.”

  “No, your problem. We can simply stun you both as you stand. You’d both collapse together.”

  “But you can’t take that chance, can you? Back up, all of you.”

  “We need to get that antigrav trolley,” Josune said. “The nearest one is in the room to your left.”

  In the background, Roystan was talking to Carlos over the link. “Get down to breach door two and wait by the lock. Don’t go in. Make sure you are armed.”

  “There’s four of them waiting behind the door there.”

  “I know.”

  Brand risked a quick glance sideways, to the studio door. Josune was too far away to use the opportunity. The agent backed into the room, dragging Snow with her. Nika followed close behind.

  “One at a time, and go right as you come in.” Brand’s back was against the far-left wall. She wasn’t taking chances. A pity the trolley wasn’t to the left.

  “All of you. Or Snow here dies.”

  Nika stood just inside the door, her eyes still fixed on Brand. Josune edged past her, went over to the trolley, and picked up the controller. She flicked a button, and the trolley lifted off the ground. She headed back out. Roystan stood in the doorway.

  He was breathing heavily, his face the color of Jacques’s uncooked flatbread.

  “Roystan?” Something was badly wrong. She hoped it was simply the effects of the gas he’d inhaled.

  “Let’s get this lot loaded so we can get rid of them.”

  “One of you only.” Brand’s voice was sharp.

  “I can’t lift four of them onto the trolley,” Josune said. “Not without help.”

  Brand’s finger twitched, and Josune held her breath. Nika took a quick step sideways, into the line of fire. Her eyes never left Brand’s face. “As Josune said, it needs two. You are not a stupid woman. And you are in a hurry. Let’s get it done.”

  Brand’s finger visibly tightened.

  “So far you’ve shot no one. You have a hostage. You don’t want all-out war, and with three of us against one of you plus your hostage, you know who is going to win.”

  “Get on with it, then,” Brand snarled. “When this is over, you are going right to the top of the wanted list, you know that. With a bounty so high it won’t keep the bounty hunters away. You will spend the rest of your short life running. You will wish you were dead. All of you.”

  “Tell us something new.”

  Josune went out quickly. She didn’t want to leave Nika alone, but they needed these people off the ship. Fifteen minutes, Roystan had said. Now ten.

  Roystan went with her, and they quickly lifted one of the bodies onto the trolley. He made hard work of it.

  “Are you okay, Roystan?”

  “I will be when these lot go. Although,” he admitted softly, “between you and me, I need another stint in that machine soon.”

  If Roystan thought he needed work, then it was bad. Josune had been gentle with the first body. Now, speed was more important. The bodies loaded, she headed back. The scene had changed subtly. Brand was leaning against the open Netanyu with Snow still in her embrace, the necklace of blood starting to drip. Nika was against the left wall, clutching the cross.

  Brand gestured toward Nika as Josune and Roystan came to the doorway. “Leave the trolley and the controller. Both of you up against that wall and turn your backs.”

  Josune grimaced. She didn’t like to turn her back on her enemy like that.

  “You forget we have the firepower.”

  “And I have the hostage.”

  “I’m not sure why we should worry,” Josune said. “You take Snow, or you kill him. Or we do. Either way, he’s gone. So why do we care? We should just shoot you and be done with it.”

  Brand opened her mouth, closed it again. She turned her glare full on Josune, then flinched. “What the . . . something just bit me.”

  Not suspicious yet. Good. Even a super-fast-acting tranquilizer like the one in Nika’s dart gun took time to take effect.

  Please let her not tighten her hand as she falls.

&nb
sp; Brand’s movements slowed even as her hand rose to check. The other hand, the one holding the wire, loosened, and the garrote slipped. Josune charged across the room and flipped Brand into the modding machine.

  The lid began to close on its own, and Josune tried to stop it. “What?”

  Nika tossed a cloth to Snow. “We’ll fix your neck as soon as we’re safe.” She turned to Josune. “It’s automatic. It’s taking a read. We’ll have to wait.” She rounded on Roystan. “What part of forty-eight hours didn’t you understand?”

  “I didn’t have much choice.”

  Nika shook her head, checked Snow’s throat. “You’ll live.” She called through to Jacques. “Start heating up that garfungi stew.”

  Josune looked from Nika to Roystan. “That bad?”

  “Worse,” Nika said.

  How bad was worse?

  Nika glanced at the time and held out a hand. “Can I borrow a stunner?”

  Josune handed her stunner over, wondering for an insane moment if Nika would shoot Roystan with it. Josune’s hand moved to her sparker.

  Nika followed the movement, could have been reading her mind. “It’s tempting, but that won’t fix stupidity.” She raised the stunner and waited. The Netanyu lid opened. Nika fired at Brand. The agent didn’t move.

  Nika tucked the stunner into her waistband. “It was only a read, but it pays to be safe.”

  “Let’s get her onto the trolley with the rest,” Josune said.

  “Not you,” Nika said when Roystan came over to grab a leg. “You’ve done enough.”

  “Nika, I will keep going for as long as I need to. Don’t write me off yet.”

  Josune moved him aside gently. “We’ve got it, Roystan.” She didn’t know what the problem was, but if Nika didn’t want Roystan doing any lifting, he wouldn’t be doing any lifting.

  * * *

  • • •

  Carlos waited for them at the breach door. “There are four of them in there, getting in each other’s way. I think everyone except their captain is on our ship now.” He indicated the screen in front of him showing the room. All four were trying to force the door open. “They’re amateurs. Can’t get past the first defense even. Even you airy-fairy modders could do better.”

  “I don’t think their captain likes failure.” Josune turned to Roystan. “How do you want to do this?”

  “Fast,” Roystan said. “When I open the door, Carlos, you aim left and sweep to the right in continuous blast. Nika, you do the same, but right to left. Snow, you aim straight in front and sweep right. I’ll do the same but go to the left. Josune, watch for anyone we miss. We should get them all in one pass, with no mistakes.”

  “Aye, Captain,” Josune added to the soft chorus.

  “Ready. Okay, on three. Three, two, one, open breach door two.”

  It was over in seconds. Josune looked at the four inert bodies in satisfaction. “That was easier than I thought.”

  “Don’t tempt fate,” Carlos said.

  “I’m going to prep for nullspace.” Roystan turned away. “And talk to the captain. Josune, can I leave you to get this lot off our ship? There should only be the captain, and maybe one other remaining.”

  “It will be my pleasure. If anyone comes out shooting, they’ll hit their own people first.”

  “Thank you. Snow, if you and Carlos could help Josune, it would be great. Once we’ve unlinked, we can check for trackers they may have left behind.”

  He turned to Nika. “Come with me. The calibrator awaits you.”

  “You don’t need me on the calibrator. It’s not like we haven’t got a good one in place now.”

  “I know, but you are better than any automatic calibrator. I like to have you watching that needle. Besides, you enjoy doing it.”

  Nika snorted but didn’t argue. She handed Josune back her stunner and followed Roystan. “Think you won’t be able to pilot this thing accurately, is that it?”

  Josune hoped Nika didn’t mean that. She heard her call Jacques.

  “Garfungi takes time. It will be ready in five,” Jacques said.

  This time it was Roystan who snorted. Josune chewed her lip and watched Roystan until he turned the corner. He had better be all right. She turned to Snow. “Are you up to this, Snow?”

  “Of course I am.” He wiped his neck. “As Nika said, my injury isn’t life threatening.”

  “Good. I’ll have Carlos watch the door, if you don’t mind coming in with me. As soon as Roystan has the captain on the line and they come to an agreement, we go in.”

  Roystan’s voice came through the link even as she spoke.

  “Captain Ewan. We are returning your agents. Unfortunately, they are not conscious. Permission to bring them on board your ship. Our crew will leave as soon as they are in your space. I advise you and your ship to unlink as soon as they exit.”

  “Captain Roystan, this is not the last you will hear of this. Norris is close by.”

  “Even if you have managed to get a message out—which I doubt—he’s far enough away that it won’t matter. Do we have your permission to board with your people?”

  Josune sent the antigrav trolley in front of her as she listened to Roystan continue to talk. She checked the pile of human bodies. They were all still unconscious.

  She brought out her sparker again. The familiarity settled her.

  “Permission granted.” Ewan snarled the permission. “No one steps past the docking bay. Unfortunately, there is no one to greet your people.”

  “I don’t think they’ll mind that, do you?”

  That was easy. Too easy. He didn’t complain. He didn’t object. He didn’t ask questions. He simply agreed to Roystan’s request after a token growl and opened the docking-bay door.

  What had she missed? Josune didn’t trust Ewan. She didn’t trust the Justice Department. Ewan could try to pull his ship away early, but he’d kill his crew. He wouldn’t do that.

  “I don’t like this.” She turned to Snow and Carlos. “You two wait here.”

  “No way.” Snow was adamant. “You think it’s a trap. You need someone to cover you, to watch your back.”

  “And to watch for any sneaky attacks coming through secret doors,” Carlos added.

  They were right. “All right, Carlos. You watch from the entrance. Snow, you wait with him and watch the other side.”

  “No. I’m coming with you.”

  Josune didn’t have the time. The longer they argued, the more chance there was of Ewan staging an attack of some sort.

  “Then let’s do this.” She pushed the trolley forward. The distance was only ten meters. Snow followed, stunner sweeping the cargo hold as he did so.

  There was no one in the hold, but the cold, prickling sensation at the back of her neck told her Ewan was watching, biding his time.

  Snow shoved his stunner into his waistband and grabbed Brand’s arm to pull her off the trolley.

  “Leave the trolley, Snow.” Josune backed away, her sparker out. “We’ve more. They can have this one as a gift.” Ten seconds and they’d be gone.

  “Josune!” Carlos’s cry was a warning.

  She spun around, just in time to watch the Justice VII’s airlock door—the door linking them to their own ship—clang shut.

  “Get back behind the breach door, Carlos.” Back to where, if the two ships did pull apart while Another Road’s airlock was open, he’d have oxygen.

  Roystan’s snarl on her link was more menacing than any she’d heard so far, and the Justice Department agents had snarled a lot. You never could trust the Justice Department. She hadn’t expected anything less.

  “Captain Ewan, explain your action.”

  “Of course, Captain. Unfortunately, we now have another standoff. I have your people trapped in my landing bay. I have the one person I need. You may
unlink and go your way and we will not bother you further.”

  Ewan thought he had Snow, did he? He could think again. One, maybe two people against her and Snow. Did he think they’d survived this long on pure luck?

  “Roystan. Give him one warning. If he wants his ship, tell him to let us out now.”

  She glanced at the floor while Roystan repeated Josune’s warning. Good. Insulated. At least there was no skimping on flooring. They wouldn’t electrocute themselves.

  “Wait near the exit to Another Road, Snow. Stay on this black flooring. Stay in shadow if you can.” Ewan wouldn’t show himself, not without provocation. He was outnumbered. But he had smarts. Well, she wasn’t going to give him time to come up with a plan.

  “Ready? And focus. You have one job. Hit the manual close on our lock as soon as we get out.”

  Snow moved to the door. “But how—”

  Josune looked directly into the camera Ewan would be watching, waved her sparker. She turned to Snow. “This disables ships. Once I use it, their ship will be dead in space. Ewan has had his warning.”

  She had to believe Ewan thought she was desperate enough to kill both herself and Snow to get to him.

  The back of her neck prickled; she spun around as an inner door opened. Captain Ewan stood in the doorway, blaster in hand, pointed at her.

  Josune dived to avoid Ewan’s blaster, didn’t need to. Snow fired his stunner.

  The captain slumped. Unconscious.

  “Good shot, Snow.”

  “Now we have to go to the bridge to open this door so we can get back to our own ship.” Snow looked at the body. “Sorry.”

  “No, we don’t. Help me pile him onto the trolley.” She was tempted to kill him, knew better. Justice Department agents might slink away from a fight they’d been bested on, but murdering some of them would bring the whole Justice Department out for revenge.

  Snow helped her lift the captain onto the trolley, on top of the others.