by J. N. Chaney
Maybe it was the agonizing pain raking through my body, or perhaps it was the fading adrenaline, but I actually chuckled. “You have the worst poker face I’ve ever seen, kid.”
“Yeah,” admitted Hunter.
“Close the doors and get us out of here, Siggy,” I ordered as I limped after the trio on their way to the lounge.
They could use the medic kit on Edwin first. As for me, I was headed for the whiskey. After all that chaos, I deserved the whole damn bottle.
Epilogue
I sat once more in the pilot's seat on the bridge. After all that time with the Carsons on board, I was finally alone in the Star—just the way I liked it.
I took in a deep breath and closed my eyes as I leaned back in my chair. The bandages only had to stay on for a few more days, and then I’d be good as new. I'd even gotten some good painkillers, thanks to one of Edwin's medical contacts on the station that had treated us.
It was strange to think it was really over. I still couldn’t quite believe it, but the bounties had been removed almost immediately from the Renegade Net. I'd gotten word from Ollie that they had also disappeared from the various freelancer networks as well.
“How long until we reach Taurus Station?” I asked.
“Roughly two days, sir,” answered Sigmond.
“Tell Ollie I won’t take any jobs for a few days once we’re back,” I ordered. “I need some time off.”
“Right away,” said the AI. “I’ll also put in an advance order for your whiskey, Captain.”
I grinned. “You know me too well, Siggy.”
“I try.”
After the short time having the Carson kids on the Star, the ship almost seemed too quiet. I had dropped them off on Avos not long ago, and through their network, they had managed to find a way around the Union surveillance. That meant they could go home, however temporarily.
Edwin had told me they were going to swipe what they could from their house and bury their family.
I didn't need to be there for that. As much as we had helped each other survive, I wasn't a Carson, and I never would be.
I paused at the thought and looked over my shoulder at the gun leaning against the wall behind me. It was the sniper rifle I'd swiped from Hunter when we'd first met, and he'd left it in the lounge as a surprise before they’d driven off in their hovercar. The name Carson had been painted onto the handle in sloppy ink, and despite the careless drips on the letters, I appreciated the gesture.
I might not have been a Carson, but I'd made a difference to those kids. As much as I hated to admit it, it felt good to deliver them safely home.
Part of me wanted to go after the meatheads that had abducted Edwin, but that was better left alone. After the kids buried their family, I had no idea what they would be up to next. Most likely, they’d continue whatever version of honest smuggling their family was known for, and Ruby still had that hit in the Sarkonian Empire to pay for the intel she’d gotten us.
“Sir,” said Sigmond. “You have an incoming transmission from Mr. Oxanos.”
“First he shows up on Scartros, and now he calls me out of the blue?” I asked, frowning. “Do you know what he wants? He’s not usually this chatty.”
“He didn't say,” responded the AI. “Should I inquire?”
“Don't bother,” I said, leaning forward in my seat. The wound in my shoulder spasmed as I moved, and I winced as I rode out the wave of pain.
It seemed like maybe I was due for another round of painkillers.
“Patch him through, Siggy,” I commanded.
Fratley appeared on the holo before me, a wide grin already on his face. My guard went instantly up, and I wondered why he’d called me. With Fratley, I couldn’t be sure.
“Jace Hughes,” said Fratley, crossing his arms as he looked at me. “You look well.”
“Feeling great,” I lied.
“Now I know why you needed that cloak,” said Fratley, shaking his head as he clapped his hands together, applauding me. “You put a bullet through Colt Lockwood's brain. I’m impressed!”
I tensed, surprised that word had already reached him. It was probably for the best that people knew what I was capable of, if only so that they would leave me the hell alone.
“I told you I couldn’t wait for it,” I reminded him.
“You're smart,” admitted Fratley. “You know I would have doubled the price if I had realized someone like Colt was after you.”
“I figured,” I admitted.
“Well, you still owe me. Big time,” said Fratley, his smile falling as he looked me dead in the eye. “A lot of people wanted that cloak, Jace. I don't want you to get too comfortable or think you have the rest of your life to pay it off. This isn't going to be like paying off the Star. This bill is going to come due soon, and you need to be ready when I tell you to start paying up. I would hate to have to come after you. I like you, but I like money more.”
“You'll get your creds,” I promised. “You always do.”
“That's right,” said Fratley. “I always do, and you get to start right now. I have some jobs I want you to take to start paying me back. The first one’s easy. Consider it your training wheels.”
I frowned. I’d told him no on Scartros, but it was as if he’d forgotten. He spoke like we’d already agreed on it, and I couldn’t tell if he was out of his mind or trying to play me.
Maybe both.
“There's a family in the Deadlands I want you to kill,” said Fratley, ignoring me. “There’s a couple of kids, so I’ll make up for that with a nice payment. It’s just a competitor I want gone, and I think killing his family, too, will send the right message to anyone else who decides they want to try to muscle in on my business interests.”
For a moment, I didn't answer. I just watched him, wondering why he would ask such a thing of me. He knew my rules. I’d told him more than once.
“Well?” asked Fratley with a puzzled expression. “Any questions, or do you want the coordinates?”
“I’m not doing it.”
Fratley just laughed. “You don't get to tell me no, Jace. Besides, you didn't even hear the payout. It's easy for a man like you. If my competitors hear the Renegade who killed Colt Lockwood is coming for them, they're going to piss their pants.”
I shook my head, wondering why this was so hard for him to understand.
“No,” I repeated. “I told you back on Scartros that I’m not doing these jobs for you. Besides, I'm not interested in killing kids, Fratley. You know that.”
“You sure about that? A hundred thousand creds is awfully hard to pay off. This job will cover nearly half that.”
“This isn’t a negotiation. I'm good for what I owe, and I’ll earn it my own way.”
Fratley watched me, his eyes narrowing as his frown deepened. “Don't get full of yourself. It ain’t a good look. Colt got cocky. You don't want to end up like him.”
“On the contrary.” I gripped the armrest, irritated that he kept bringing up Lockwood.
A long stretch of silence settled between us as we each waited for the other to speak. I knew he wanted me to cave, to show a crack in the shield and give him an in. He didn’t just want what I owed him. He wanted to own me.
But I’d never let anyone tell me how to live or how to feel. This life—the one I’d chosen—was only for me and no one else. I got to make the rules, and I’d die before I gave it up.
After what felt like too long, Fratley let out a loud chuckle. His eyes creased with newfound comedy, as though his personality had changed. It unsettled me, the way he did that, and the more I looked at him, the more I began to understand there was something broken inside of that man.
“I was like you once, kid,” said Fratley, still holding the new smile. “Stubborn and talented. Hooked on the freedom you get when you have your own ship. You don’t want a boss, and I can respect that.”
Did he really expect me to believe that?
“Alright, Jace. I'll let you off the hook
for this job. If you run into trouble getting work, though, you call me back. There's always going to be something for you to do. But I have to warn you,” he paused and took a step closer to the camera, his voice dropping to a dangerous octave, and the smile suddenly gone again. Another shift. Another Fratley. “If you don’t pay me back in the allotted time, let’s say six months, you won't have to worry about getting jobs anymore. You get my meaning?”
“Bye, Fratley,” I said, intentionally leaving the question hanging in the air.
I tapped the pad by the holo to end the transmission manually, and Fratley Oxanos’s face disappeared.
I sat there for a moment, staring at the empty holo as I replayed the conversation in my head. The more I did, the more unnerved it made me.
“Something’s wrong with him, Siggy,” I finally said, my voice barely above a whisper. “He’s not the same man who sold me this ship. Ain’t been for some time, I think.”
“I’m afraid you may be correct, sir. Do you have any theories?”
I shook my head. “I just know I don't want to work for him, and I definitely don't want to owe him money again. Not after this time. We need to get this cloak paid off as soon as possible, or who knows what Fratley’s going to do.”
I leaned back in my chair as the holo popped to life again, this time displaying an ocean of stars, along with an icon to indicate the nearest slip tunnel.
“Get us to Taurus Station as fast as you can. Forget my time off. Let's see if Ollie can find us more work.”
“Ready on your command, sir.”
I sat at the helm of the Renegade Star, my ticket to freedom among the vast empty. I eyed the holo, wondering how many jobs I’d need to take to pay off my latest debt.
The sooner I started, the sooner I’d finish.
“Alright,” I said, taking in a long breath. “Punch it, Siggy.”
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Renegade Star Universe
The Renegade Star Universe
Click the titles below to reach the book’s Amazon page
The Renegade Star Series
They say the Earth is just a myth. Something to tell your children when you put them to sleep, the lost homeworld of humanity. Everyone knows it isn't real, though. It can't be.
But when Captain Jace Hughes encounters a nun with a mysterious piece of cargo and a bold secret, he soon discovers that everything he thought he knew about Earth is wrong. So very, very wrong.
Climb aboard The Renegade Star and assemble a crew, follow the clues, uncover the truth, and most importantly, try to stay alive.
The Last Reaper Series
When a high value scientist is taken hostage inside the galaxy's most dangerous prison, Halek Cain is the only man for the job.
The last remaining survivor of the Reaper program, Hal is an unstoppable force of fuel and madness. A veteran amputee-turned-cyborg, he has a history of violence and a talent for killing that is unmatched by any soldier.
With the promise of freedom as his only incentive, he’ll stop at nothing to earn back his life from the people who made him, imprisoned him, and were too afraid to let him die.
The Orion Colony Series
Humanity’s Exodus is about to begin.
When half of mankind revolts and demands more opportunity, those at the top decide on a compromise: they will build the first colony ships and allow those who are willing to discover new worlds to leave and start over.
Twelve ships are built, the first of which is called Orion. Many are eager to go, but only one hundred thousand are chosen for each vessel. Far from Earth, a new life awaits, and it promises the prosperity they’ve always wanted.
But still, resistance stirs, eager to sabotage this new expansion effort, threatening the promise of a new life. As Orion moves through the void of space, towards a distant world, its passengers must fight for survival in an unprecedented conflict.
Win or lose, their future will be forever changed.
The Fifth Column Series
After a soldier is left for dead, Eva Delgado's life begins to unravel.
The truth of what happened remains a mystery, and the government will stop at nothing to keep it buried.
Together with the unit's medic, Eva finds herself branded a terrorist and enemy of the State, hunted by two opposing governments.
When the pair uncover a plot that could have ramifications for the whole galaxy, they know they have to act, but it will take all of their training, cunning and just a bit of luck to do what no one else has achieved.
But what do you do when every secret begets another? And how far will you go to find the truth?
Nameless (Abigail’s Story)
Abigail and Clementine were just a couple of orphans looking for a home.
But when the two girls witness something terrible, they have no choice but to leave their orphanage and go into hiding. The only person willing to take them in is a man named Mulberry, but his home isn't the safest place for two innocent children.
Abigail and Clementine quickly discover that their new caretaker is the head of a guild of assassins, and the two are thrown into a whole new world of danger. To survive, they'll need to adapt, focus, and learn how to survive in a world of killers.
The Constable (Alphonse’s Story)
My name is Alphonse Malloy, and I see everything.
From a simple glance, I know your hobbies, what you ate for breakfast, how well you slept, and whether or not your wife is secretly seeing the high school biology teacher when you're not around.
I can't explain how or why I get these feelings, only that I know they're true.
All the little secrets you're too afraid to tell.
Sometimes, that means helping people. Other times, it means staring down the barrel of a loaded gun.
I wish I could tell you I was using this ability for good.
I wish I could tell you a lot of things.
The Constable Returns
Alphonse Malloy may just be the smartest man alive.
A year has passed since Alphonse joined the Constables, but his work is only just beginning. In order to graduate and achieve full Constable status, Alphonse will need to complete one final mission.
When new information about an old enemy arises, Al and his mentor Dorian must head deep into the Deadlands in search of answers.
But in a galaxy of secrets, the truth is often more elusive than it seems.
As the search continues, Alphonse's talents will be pushed to their absolute limit, and he'll need everything he's learned to make it out of this one alive.
Warrior Queen (Lucia’s Story)
On a lost world, far removed from Earth, a group of humans struggle to survive.
Two thousand years after their ancestors lost control of a hidden genetics research facility, the descendants of mankind have been reduced to a tribe of two hundred survivors. They fight, kill, and die in an endless cycle, all in the hope that things will get better.
Lucia is one of these colonists and the daughter of the tribe's leader, the Director. Together with several other candidates, she must soon undergo a trial to decide her father's replacement. The winner will shape the future of the entire colony.
But the trial is dangerous, meant to test each candidate's wits and strengths to see who is truly worthy. To claim victory, Lucia will need to venture out into the tunnels near the city to search for lost artifacts known as Cores--small but powerful devices capable of harnessing endless energy.
But there are monsters here, waiting in the dark, and they are always hungry. Beware the Boneclaw, Lucia's father use to tell her, for it lives only to kill and to feed.
Lucia must do whatever it takes, learn as much as she can, and fight with every ounce of strength if she hopes to make it through the day.
Forget winning the trial. The real challenge is staying alive.
Resonant Son Series
/> 30 floors of nightmare fueled action. An ex-cop with nothing left to lose.
After losing his job and family, Flint Reed finds himself in the middle of a terrorist attack. With nothing but his wits and experience as a former Union police officer, he must do everything he can to stay alive.
As he soon discovers, however, there are also hostages, and no one is coming to save them.
All hope falls to Flint.
But as he fights to navigate the building, the real answers begin to unravel. What are the terrorists really after, and why are they so intent on getting into the vault?
Experience the beginning of the Resonant Son series. If you're a fan of Die Hard, Renegade Star, or the Last Reaper, you'll love this epic scifi thrill ride.
Galactic Law Series
Lethal force is authorized.
In the wild space of the Deadlands, Taurus Station is where miners and tourists come to play, and the ravager gangs follow close behind. Out here, far from the civilized world, the Law has a name.