Deuces Wild Boxed Set: Books 1-4: Beyond the Frontiers, Rampage, Labyrinth, Birthright

by Ell Leigh Clarke

  And one day, I hope that you can understand that I had to do my duty. Our Empress needed me, and my place was with her. But just know, there isn’t a day goes by that I don’t think of you, and miss you terribly.

  Until we meet again, all my love, always,

  Aunt Tabitha

  Nickie swiped a tear from her face. She sniffed, her eyes darting to the bridge door to make sure no one else was going to see her in this state.

  Would you like me to upload the first entry to your device for reading?

  Yes. Yes I would. Thank you, Meredith.

  Nickie got up from her seat. In fact, she continued, if Grim comes looking for me, can you let him know I’m resting in my quarters.

  Very good. I’ll tell him. You have forty minutes until we reach the trading post.

  Thanks.

  Nickie swiped at her face again and strode off the bridge to the corridor beyond.

  Rebus Quadrant, Approaching Minerva Trading Outpost, Aboard the Penitent Granddaughter, Nickie’s Quarters

  Safely ensconced in her still-new and novel quarters, Nickie flopped onto the bed. It was firm, and a tad smaller than she would have liked. The damn Skaines weren’t the tallest beasts in the land.

  With a mere thought, her systems adjusted her reading device—which was part of a nifty HUD package she’d had installed in her eyes years ago somewhere in the galaxy during—over her retinas. It had been a long time since she had read anything of length this way. It felt almost as if she were embarking on a new habit. A reading habit. Normally the only reading she did was Keep Out signs, or quick translations in bars or on dating sites.

  Oh yeah, and the odd poker course, so she could slay her drunken opponents with skill and finesse. But those weren’t long form.

  Now, faced with this new mysterious file from her aunt and seeing that there was lots of text, she settled in for a new experience.

  Intrigued and on tenterhooks at what her aunt had in store for her, she shuffled the file back to the start, directing the interface with her conscious intentions, and began to read.

  Chapter 2

  Tabitha

  Yoll Quadrant, QBSS Meredith Reynolds, Never Submit-Never Surrender Bar

  Angie looked down into her drink and tried to focus on anything except the pain in her heart. She ached with it, day in and day out.

  Manny had been everything to her. There was no joke she heard that she didn’t want to tell him. There was no day she didn’t want to go home and see him in their small set of rooms. There was no dinner she didn’t want to eat with him.

  And he’d always been the better cook, too, so dinner was shit twice over now. She couldn’t stand in the kitchen with a beer and smell the hot peppers and spices he was cooking with as he joked with her about their days, and when she ate, she ate alone at their tiny table in an apartment that was the size of a small box, but still felt too big without him here.

  She had never realized that when your heart broke, it actually felt like physical pain.

  “You doing all right, honey?” The bartender, Lilah, came by to slide another full glass across the bar to Angie.

  “Yeah. Yeah, I’m all right.” Angie managed a smile.

  Lilah watched her carefully. Her warm brown eyes and easy manner hid a keen sense of observation. She had seen enough heartbroken people come into this bar that she recognized the look.

  In her experience, there were three stages of heartbreak: shock, wallowing, and recovery.

  Angie was wallowing. Lilah didn’t use the term cruelly. Everyone needed to wallow sometimes. After the shock passed, there was no way to get through all the grief without allowing yourself to feel it.

  As a bartender, she spent the most time with the wallowers. People in shock were still trying to pretend everything was fine. People who were recovering still came in, but they shared a beer with their friends or their memories—happily—so she could spend her time on the new wallowers.

  Lilah cleared away the two empty glasses from in front of Angie and busied herself with cleaning them. She could use the automated dishwasher in the back, but she was guessing that Angie would want to talk.

  She was right. Angie watched as Lilah made quick work of the two glasses, leaving them spotless and back on the shelf.

  Her voice beckoned Lilah when she admitted, “I miss him so much. It’s been months, and I still think about him every day.”

  Lilah looked up. Angie had already taken a huge swallow of the third beer, and she guessed that Angie was trying to get drunk so she would forget about her man.

  It wouldn’t work, but that was something every drunk person had to find out for themselves.

  “What happened?” Lilah kept her tone light but her face serious. She had learned that no matter how big or small an issue was, it was all-encompassing for the person who came into her bar to escape it.

  Angie paused for a moment before she answered, then opened her mouth to speak, lost her composure, and took another drink of her beer instead. Tears trembled in her eyes as she said the words, “He died on the Recalcitrant.”

  She had never said that out loud before. In the wake of the tragedy, everyone who needed to know already knew. She had been contacted by the relevant people in Manny’s chain of command and supported through the funeral by the other people who grieved for him.

  Everyone on the Carda, her ship, also knew.

  But after a while, everyone else seemed to get past it. Angie, however, was still trying to wrap her head around the fact that Manny was never coming back. Every time she realized it anew it hit her in the chest all over again. She wanted to scream each time

  It just hurt so damned much.

  She kept trying to force herself to acknowledge it, but it never seemed to get better.

  So she was here.

  Lilah’s heart twisted for the poor woman. She had seen enough grieving people to note the strength in Angie’s tone, and what was left of her determination. Angie would get through this. But Lilah had also seen enough grieving people to know that Angie couldn’t realize that yet, not the first time. Hopefully, there wouldn’t be a second time.

  “Death is what happens in war,” Lilah wiped the bar in front of her.

  Angie nodded. “I know. I do know.”

  “Never thought you didn’t, honey. Just helpful to hear it out loud sometimes.” Lilah didn’t give any opinions on any of it. That wasn’t her role right now. “Tell me about him.”

  Angie looked up, appreciation in her eyes. She knew her friends didn’t want to hear stories about him anymore.

  They thought she was not moving on properly. “His name was Manny. He had the most amazing smile, and it lit up the whole room. His mother was Colombian, and he would sing these old songs… He teased me in Spanish, too. I never knew what he was saying. He was an amazing cook. He swept me off my feet, he was so gentlemanly.” She looked down at her beer.

  “He was your first boyfriend,” Lilah guessed.

  “No. Actually, yes, I suppose. I bet calling someone my boyfriend in grade school doesn’t count.” Angie gave a sigh. “I was so awkward. I met Manny after I enlisted. He bought me a drink at All Guns Blazing. That’s why I’m not drinking there.” She shook her head, more to herself as if she was forgiving her lack of strength. “I couldn’t… Not that this isn’t a nice bar,” she added hastily looking up at Lilah, eyes wide.

  Lilah chuckled as she waved a hand. “No offense taken, sweetie. You wait here a second. I’ll be right back.”

  Angie watched curiously as Lilah made her way out from behind the bar, and into the back corner of the row of booths.

  At the back booth, a woman was drinking alone. Her long hair fell over her shoulders, and she wore a long coat and heavy boots. Despite the clothes, Angie could see that she was smiling. She spoke to Lilah easily, as if they knew each other.

  She looked familiar…

  Lilah walked up the path between the bar and the booths, she came back to Angie and jerked her he
ad toward the corner. “Come on, there’s someone I want you to meet.”

  Angie followed the bartender, aware as she focused on her walking that she’d had a lot to drink. She stumbled slightly, and had to focus hard on where her feet were to make sure she didn’t end up in a heap.

  When she got to the table, she took another look at the woman’s face and put a hand up to her open mouth.

  The lady looking up at her was Ranger Two.

  Tabitha smiled at Angie. To Angie’s surprise, the smile wasn’t hard-edged or arrogant. It was almost mischievous.

  “Take a seat, Angie,” Tabitha suggested, waving a hand at the other side of the booth. When Angie’s eyes widened, Tabitha tapped her skull. “My EI knows who you are.”

  I only said I knew her name, Achronyx commented in Tabitha’s mind. His voice was prickly.

  And her military record. She’ll tell us whatever else we need to know, I’m sure.

  It looks like she was next of kin for a Lieutenant Commander Manuel Fernandez. He died three months ago on the Recalcitrant.

  See, that’s more than we knew to start with. Tabitha wanted to roll her eyes at Achronyx. It’s obvious why Lilah wants us to talk with her, then.

  You’re making an assumption.

  Doesn’t matter, because I’m also right, and you’re being an ass.

  Angie stood frozen until Lilah ushered her to the edge of the booth and pushed a bit to sit her down. Even then, it was all Angie could do to clutch her beer and not spill it everywhere.

  Ranger Two. She was talking with Ranger Two.

  “So,” Tabitha began as Lilah disappeared to help a new customer. “Lilah tells me you need to hear one of my tales, and that maybe I need to tell it again.” She took a swallow of her own beer, eyes focused on another time and place. “And maybe I do,” she murmured, almost to herself.

  Angie looked up to confirm with Lilah, but she was gone. “One of your stories?”

  Tabitha nodded, thinking before looking Angie in her eyes. “I lost someone very close to me,” she explained. “What happened after… Well, you can judge for yourself.”

  Angie took a sip of her beer, mostly to have something to do with her hands. It was hard not to be nervous under Tabitha’s direct and self-assured gaze.

  Tabitha considered, and started in a place Angie didn’t expect. “I didn’t start out as a fighter, you know.”

  “No?” Angie observed the easy way Tabitha wore her clothes, and at the way she held herself. This woman was a warrior, of that she had no doubt—regardless of the stories that were told around the Meredith Reynolds. She would have guessed that Tabitha had always been that way.

  “Not at all. I was born on Earth, in Buenos Aires.” Tabitha smiled. “How old are you?”

  “Twenty-five.” It was her silver birthday later this month, and… Angie swallowed. She knew Manny had already been planning something for her, even months ago.

  She didn’t know how she could face a birthday without him.

  Tabitha saw all this in her shoulders, her posture, and her eyes. Despite everything, Tabitha did know what it felt like to need privacy while grieving. After Shin had died…

  Well, she would be reliving it soon enough as she told Angie the tale.

  “I was a street kid,” Tabitha explained. “Not…homeless, exactly. I was a hacker—a real geek, let me tell you—and I got on the wrong side of someone very powerful. I went off on my own so that they wouldn’t find my parents and siblings. I was hiding out, just trying to survive, when Bethany Anne found me.”

  You mean, when you were pulling off a heist in a bank, and she rescued the bank?

  Shut up, Achronyx.

  “And she wanted you to be a fighter?” Angie asked.

  “No. Yes.” Tabitha waved a hand. “It’s not really important. I just meant to say, I think it will be helpful for the story if you realize I wasn’t always a warrior. I didn’t come from a family who knew about that stuff. When one of my comrades died, I didn’t know how to handle it. Does that make sense?”

  “I never would have guessed.” Angie glanced at Tabitha almost shyly. “You look like you were born to your role.”

  “Most people would agree with you.” Tabitha snickered. “Except Hirotoshi and perhaps Ryu. Hirotoshi might feel otherwise with as much shit as I give him.”

  “But you learned,” Angie countered. “You got through it. Right?”

  “Yes.” Tabitha nodded. She recognized Angie’s drive to overcome this, and she respected it. “You see, it’s easy to get lost in ourselves when we lose someone.”

  Angie gave a bitter smile. “I don’t think there’s much to get lost in. Manny had everything—looks, personality. He could cook. He was a good leader. He always found the perfect gifts for a birthday or a…a damned Tuesday. I don’t know what he ever saw in me.”

  “What did Bethany Anne see in me?” Tabitha asked.

  A criminal, I’m sure..

  I said shut UP, Achronyx. Tabitha sent back, exasperated.

  Angie sighed, clearly not convinced, but Tabitha refused to let it go. “Manny picked you for a reason. Right now you feel like doing nothing because you can’t think of what else to do, but that’s a crappy way to see yourself. When you get up in your head, thinking you have nothing beyond sadness or revenge or any of that, it eats away at you. I nearly lost myself. I don’t want you to make the same mistake.”

  Angie looked at her. “I don’t think—”

  She stopped when she saw Tabitha’s hand go up. “Let me tell you my story,” Tabitha suggested. “I think Lilah’s right, maybe you need to hear it.”

  A man with brown hair and lively black eyes turned around, the noise causing Tabitha then Angie to look over as he returned the look from his stool at the bar. “Do we get to hear the story again?”

  “Hey, George.” Tabitha lifted her beer. “Sure. Pull up a chair if you want.”

  “Hell yeah, I want.” George dragged a chair from another table and sat next to Angie, holding out his hand. “Hi. George Danvers.”

  Confused, she reached over. “Angie.” She replied, shaking his hand.

  “Hey, Dan!” George hollered. “Kelly! Tabitha’s telling the story again!”

  Tabitha rolled her eyes with good humor as there were shouts from elsewhere in the bar. A few other people pulled over chairs of their own and settled down to listen.

  “So you’ve told this before?” Angie asked.

  “A few times,” Tabitha admitted cagily.

  “A few times.” George shook his head. “Tons. And we still love hearing it. Why, it’s practically an institution around here—of course, it’s never the same story twice.”

  Tabitha took a sip of beer and gave them a little smile. “I tell the parts of it people need to hear each time.”

  “Uh-huh,” George gave Angie a meaningful smile. “Anyway, settle in, you’re gonna have a great time.”

  “All right,” Tabitha said. “So, here’s how I dealt with my first loss…”

  Chapter 3

  Tabitha

  Yoll Quadrant, QBSS Meredith Reynolds, Never Submit-Never Surrender Bar

  “Perhaps you’ve heard of the Tontos?” Tabitha asked Angie.

  The woman’s eyes narrowed, and those watching stayed quiet. “Are they… They follow you, yes?”

  “That’s a very loose term for it.” Tabitha chuckled. “If you mean, do they follow my orders, then yes. If you mean, do they follow my orders respectfully and to the letter? The answer is definitely no.”

  The people nearby snickered. A man was pulling up another chair, and he gave Angie a grin and a nod. His brown hair was cut fairly long and fell across his forehead in a long sweep, and his eyes had a hint of green to them. He had an open, easy manner about him that she liked.

  “The Tontos are absolutely loyal,” he explained to Angie. “Don’t get the idea that they would ever disobey a direct order or betray their Lady Kemosabe.”

  “No one calls me that anymore,”
Tabitha interjected, and he eyed her. “Ok, other than them.”

  “It’s such a lovely term for a delicate, feminine flower.” He grinned at her.

  Tabitha frowned at the guy. “Terrence, I will slap you into next week if you keep annoying me.”

  Terrence transferred his smile to Angie and stuck out his hand. “As you’ll have guessed, I’m Terrence. You are?”

  “Angie.” She looked around at the crowd that was gathering. “I’ve been told I’m about to hear a story.”

  “Oh, it’s legendary,” he assured her. “I’ll go get another round for everyone. The usual? George? Margie? Lady Kemosabe?” At the flash in Tabitha’s eyes, he stuck up his hands and backed off. “I mean Tabitha. I’m going, I’m going.”

  Angie smiled after him. He had the same way about him that Manny’d had, making connections between people easily and naturally. When he was around, she had always felt that the world made sense and that there wasn’t anything scary about it at all.

  “Terrence is a good guy,” Tabitha admitted. “Just a pain in the ass when he starts in on the Lady Kemosabe crap. Good drinking buddy, though. You ever played beer pong?”

  “I…” Angie wondered if she was about to be asked to join a drinking game. Her stomach flipped at the mere thought of it, and she clapped a hand over her mouth.

  “Never mind,” Tabitha said hastily. “And remember, if you have to hurl,” she pointed to the empty chair, “do it on Terrence.”

  Angie busted out laughing, and Tabitha grinned. She was glad Terrence was here to set Angie at ease. Like a lot of people, Angie was having trouble getting past her awe at meeting the famous Ranger Two.

  Hopefully, by the end of this Angie would see that she and Tabitha weren’t so different—and that there was a way through grief, no matter how unlikely it seemed now.

  “Anyway, the Tontos came to be in service to Bethany Anne back in an operation a long time ago. Let’s just say the group they were a part of was given the option to join Bethany Anne’s cause, and most of them did choose to. We got paired up and have been fighting together ever since.”