Kestrel Class (Kestrel Class Saga Book 1)

by Toby Neighbors

  “I’ll untie the lines,” Kim said. “Why don’t you check the frame.”

  “Sure,” Ben said.

  Magnum stood with the light, holding it high to let it shine down on the ruined flying kites. It didn’t take Ben long to realize both frames were ruined. Kim’s was broken completely in two on the back and bent in several places along the front. Only one piece was undamaged, and he didn’t have the tools to cut it free.

  “Looks like a total loss,” Ben said.

  “It can be fixed,” Kim said. “Everything can be fixed.”

  “Not this aluminum tubing,” Ben insisted. “Once it bends like this, it won’t ever be strong again.”

  “You’re just saying that because you don’t want me to fly.”

  “No, I’m not,” Ben said, even though he didn’t want her to fly in the dangerous kite races. “In fact, if you come back with me, I’ll build you a new one.”

  “No,” Kim said.

  “Don’t be stubborn,” Ben told her.

  “I’m not being stubborn,” she insisted. “I can use my winnings to buy another frame.”

  “From whom? You’ll end up in debt and dead Kim. You know I’m right.”

  “Why are you always right, Ben? I can make my own decisions. I have options here.”

  Ben began to remove the silk sail from the kite frame using a pair of wire snips to cut through the plastic ties that wrapped around the frame and through grommets on the silk sail.

  “Fine. That’s fine,” Ben said. “I didn’t mean to tell you what to do.”

  Kim suddenly buried her face in her hands and cried silently. Ben didn’t know what was upsetting her, but he felt terrible. One look at Magnum showed that the big man was just as distressed.

  “I’m sorry,” he said moving closer to Kim. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”

  “I’m fine,” she said, wiping away tears. “God, I’m such a baby. I just can’t believe that my kite’s a wreck. I could kill that Culley. He’s a lousy pilot.”

  “We’ll take care of Culley once we’re done with you,” said a voice from the darkness.

  Ben turned around. He hadn’t heard the men approaching in the darkness, but he recognized the type easily enough.

  “Who the hell are you?” Kim snarled, getting to her feet.

  The men were like shadows at the edge of the light until Magnum turned the small flashlight toward them. There were four men in heavy, sweat-stained coats. They looked dirty and smelled of beer.

  “You cost us,” a man with a thick mustache said. He wore a hat down low, close to eyes, and his nose was crooked.

  “No one made you bet on the races,” Ben said.

  “You’re a fool if you bet on Culley anyway,” Kim added spitefully.

  “You’ve got a mouth on you, that much is certain,” said a man with a rag tied over his head.

  “Yeah,” said the man with the mustache, “she’s cocky.”

  “I think I just backed that up,” Kim snapped.

  “We aren’t looking for trouble,” Ben said, putting his hand on Kim’s arm. He wanted her to be quiet.

  “You can either pay us what we lost or we’ll take it any way we can,” said the man with the mustache.

  “You’re insane,” Kim said. “If the owners find out you even threatened me like this, you’ll be banned from the races.”

  The four men laughed.

  “Look around,” said the man with the rag on his head. “Who’s gonna see us out here?”

  “Especially in the dark,” the man with the mustache said.

  Ben saw the man pull a gun from his jacket. In the light from the little portable power pack that Magnum held, Ben saw that it was pieced together, a frag gun, made from various parts of old discarded weapons. The man pointed it at Magnum before Ben could react. He realized that he intended to shoot Magnum, and perhaps all three of them.

  A gunshot rang out loud, the report echoed off the canyon walls. Fear erupted inside Ben at the thought of his new friend getting hurt or killed, but it was the man with the mustache that fell to the ground.

  The man with the rag on his head reached into his own coat, but Ben stepped forward and kicked the man hard between the legs as another shot boomed from behind him. A second assailant dropped to the ground as the man with the rag head fell to his knees, groaning. The fourth man raised his hands.

  “I’m leavin’” the man said in a gravelly voice.

  Before anyone could respond, the man turned and ran off into the darkness.

  “Holy shit,” Kim said looking down at the two dead men.

  Ben felt suddenly weak and trembled. The blood of the dead men looked black in the darkness, but there were large, bloody wounds in their bodies. Just looking at them made Ben feel like he was going to be sick.

  “We should get out of here,” Ben said as he snatched up the rest of the ripped kite sail.

  “Yeah, that’s a good idea,” Kim said.

  Ben glanced back at Magnum, who was still pointing his gun at the man with the rag on his head. The man was holding his groin, hunched over, but not moving. Magnum stepped toward him and slammed the butt of his weapon into the side of the man’s head. He fell over, unconscious.

  “What just happened?” Kim asked.

  “Magnum saved our lives,” Ben said.

  “He killed two people,” she said.

  “They had guns,” Ben said, picking up the frag gun the mustached man had dropped.

  “I can’t believe it,” Kim said. “I’ve heard stories, but I can’t believe it’s true.”

  “That people get killed out here for no reason?” Ben asked, picking up an old gas-powered flechette pistol. It was small, but deadly just the same. The second dead man was still holding it. Ben stomach had flipped as he pulled the weapon from the dead man’s hand.

  “I’ve never raced this late in the day,” Kim said, her voice shaking a little. “There were always transports to carry us back up to the taverns.”

  “Well, we’re on our own tonight,” Ben said.

  Magnum pulled a pair of brass knuckles from inside the unconscious man’s coat. A little more searching revealed a single shot hand cannon. It was a smooth bore weapons that could be loaded with practically anything.

  “We should get out of here,” Ben continued. “Come with us, Kim.”

  “You’ve got me between a rock and hard place,” she said, some of her normal bite returning to her voice.

  “No promises,” he continued. “Just come take a look at the ship. You might be surprised. And either way, if you aren’t interested, I’ll build you a new kite frame. I know where I can get some solid aluminum.

  “I can’t be gone long,” Kim said as they started away from the scene in the darkness.

  “Why? What could it hurt?” Ben said. “The tavern owners will still let you race when you come back.”

  “Look, I’m building a reputation here,” she argued. “It isn’t just about racing. If the spectators forget about me, they won’t bet on me. If they don’t bet, the tavern owners won’t let me race, and when they do, my cut will be reduced. It’s the only way I have to make a living.”

  “It’s not the only way,” Ben said. “Trust me. If you want to come back, I’ll make sure you have whatever you need.”

  “Fine,” Kim said, sounding defeated.

  Ben knew she was secretly relieved. He still felt shaky at how close they’d come to being killed. He could see the mustached man’s face in his mind. And the image of the bloody wound in his chest from Magnum’s gun kept rising to the surface and making him feel weak.

  They left the canyon without noticing Culley, who was propped against a boulder nearby. He watched the entire scene without saying a word. And even though his kite was wrecked, he suddenly knew exactly how he would get back in the game. Kim Beaudry had gotten the best of him today, he’d wrenched his back in the fall, and getting out of the canyon would be difficult. But there were bodies on the race course, and Fleet Securit
y was sure to come snooping around. When they did, he knew exactly what he would tell them. And there might even be a few interested parties among the owners too. He chuckled softly, wincing in pain, but feeling lucky at the same time.

  Chapter 13

  They walked all night, moving slowly and stopping frequently to rest. Kim’s bruised leg was painful, but she felt that the exercise was helping to keep it from getting too stiff. Magnum didn’t say a word all night, and Ben led the way. It took half the night to climb back out of the canyon, but by dawn, they were several hours from the taverns and Ben felt the violence of the attack was far behind them.

  “What’s the plan?” Kim asked as they watched the sunrise.

  Magnum was heating a block of protein seasoned with a bit of spice. They sliced it thinly and heated it over a tiny fire Ben had kindled. It left the food tough, but it was better than nothing.

  “We keep moving through the day,” Ben said. I want to cover as much ground as we can.”

  “How about we sleep a few hours?” Kim said, taking a bite of the tough protein.

  “It’s better to travel by day,” Ben said. “The Scalpers are pretty active at night.”

  “Wow, you really know how to prepare a fine meal,” Kim said to Magnum. “I’ve softer shoe leather.”

  “It’s not his fault,” Ben said. “We packed light. I didn’t see the need to bring a food processing unit.”

  “I had actual food after a race once,” Kim said. “Not meat, but vegetables. Long green beans, yellow squash, onions, and potatoes. It was the best meal I’d ever eaten. Much softer than protein bricks.”

  “Maybe if we can get off this rock it won’t have to be the only time you get real food,” Ben said.

  “They serve real food at the Fleet Academy.”

  “And I hear they’re sending out invitations this week,” Ben said with mock excitement.

  “You don’t think I’m good enough to get in?”

  “Of course you’re good enough,” Ben said. “But we both know that without a sponsor and the credits for the entrance exam, you don’t have a chance.”

  “Maybe if I turn you and your little crew in to Fleet Security, they’ll give me a shot at joining the academy.”

  “You know, if I thought that would actually work, I wouldn’t blame you for doing it. But we both know the Royal Imperium doesn’t care about us. They don’t care about what’s fair, or who suffers, as long as they get their taxes and tariffs. They’ll enslave the entire galaxy if they get the chance.”

  “You think you can stop them?”

  “No, of course not,” Ben said. “I’m not a rebel or a terrorist.”

  “Then what are you?”

  Ben didn’t answer. The truth was, he wasn’t sure how to answer the question. He longed for freedom. To have his own ship and travel between the stars, visit new planets, see the wonders of the galaxy. The Royal Imperium made that dream almost impossible. Travel between systems was strictly regulated, and planets were relegated to what they could provide for the empire rather than the homes of trillions of individuals. He hated the Imperium, but he wasn’t a fighter. And while he longed to be outside their control, he didn’t expect that he could make a difference in the war against their tyrannical rule.

  “I just want to get off Torrent Four,” Ben said at last.

  “Who doesn’t?” Kim replied. “But where are you going to go?”

  “Everywhere,” he said with a smile. “I want to break orbit and keep moving. Don’t you see? That’s what a starship is, the ultimate freedom.”

  “Perhaps, but even starships have limitations,” Kim said. “They need fuel. They break down. Space may be romantic, but it certainly isn’t safe.”

  “Fixing things is what I do,” Ben said.

  “One day you’re going to come across something you can’t fix, Ben. What will you do then?”

  Once again, he was at a loss for words. Kim was the only person he knew who could so easily punch holes in his logic.

  “We should get moving. We still have a long way to go,” Ben said.

  They walked in silence for most of the day. Ben wondered what he would do if Kim didn’t join them. Perhaps he could learn to fly the ship himself. Nance could find a tutorial program somewhere. Of course he wouldn’t be a natural. If it were simply a case of getting airborne and breaking orbit, he was sure he could do it. Perhaps even the autopilot could do it, he supposed. But the issue was, they were operating outside the law. As soon as they took off, the orbital satellites would mark their location. They would immediately be in a race against Fleet Security. They needed someone to whom flying was second nature. Someone who could outfly the security forces, run the blockade, and get to hyperspace without being caught.

  When night fell, they were well within Ben’s usual stomping grounds. He found the shell of an old land transport. It smelled inside of rotten vinyl and rusting metal, but there was room to stretch out and they felt safe. Rain fell that night, and some even leaked into the transport, but they were too tired to care. Ben gave Kim his coat. She had tried to resist, but he insisted, and when Magnum started to take off his big coat for her, she took Ben’s, climbed under a row of seats, and fell asleep.

  It was impossible to tell what time it was when the Scalpers came aboard the bus. They were loud, wet, and smelled horrible. Their voices woke Ben immediately. He was asleep under the seats across from Kim, while Magnum was stretched out the frame of seats that had been removed in the back of the old transport.

  The Scalpers had solar lights that did little more than glow, but they gave the outlaws enough light to see by. One dropped onto the seat right above Ben’s head. In the glow of their lights, he could see Kim pushing back against the wall of the bus, trying to make herself as small as possible. Ben felt guilty. He had taken her away from the canyons only to fall into even more danger from Salvage Scalpers.

  He slowly raised a finger to his lips, gesturing for Kim to stay quiet. Not that she needed to be reminded. He was using the empty pack that they had carried food rations in as a pillow. Beside it was his emergency water filter and the frag gun he had taken from the man at the canyon race. It was loaded, he had made certain of that. The clip held six bullets, old-fashioned lead slugs in brass casings. The slide had to be worked manually, pulled back to insert the bullet into the chamber, and pushed forward to make it ready to fire. Magnum had taken the gun apart and put it back together while they walked down the road. He was as much of a genius with firearms as Ben was with most machines. Still, the weapon wasn’t ready to fire. He would have to work the slide which would make noise. And the last thing he wanted was for the Scalpers to discover them there in the bus.

  The outlaws talked for a while, but it didn’t take long before they were snoring. Ben tried to look back, to see what Magnum was doing. He had trouble seeing in the darkness and around the legs of the transport’s seats as well as that of the outlaws. From what he could tell, the big man wasn’t even awake.

  It might have been possible to sneak out while the outlaws slept. Ben didn’t believe they had left someone awake to keep watch. Still, it was risky, and in the end he decided to simply stay where he was and hope no one noticed him.

  At some point he fell asleep and when he heard movement, sunlight filled the old transport. The outlaws were half-asleep, but two were awake. He heard them talking. They didn’t try to keep their voices down as they complained about their hunger. Ben was trying to get a look at his friends, when one of the outlaws spotted Magnum.

  “Look at that big bastard,” someone said.

  “Is he alive?” asked a second voice.

  “He’s breathing,” said the first.

  “So he’s just sleeping?”

  “Wake up the others. It’s time to have some fun.”

  Ben looked over at Kim. She was awake and looking at him, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Ben saw the single-shot hand cannon clutched in her other hand. He took out his own pistol and slowly pulled
back the slide. It clicked, but the sound was lost amid the thump of the outlaws’ boots.

  “Wake up!” screamed one of the outlaws.

  Ben heard Magnum grunt. He didn’t know if the outlaws were abusing the big man, perhaps kicking him, but he knew they didn’t have much time. He needed to act while they still had the element of surprise.

  Ben slid to the edge of the seats he had been laying under. He could see six Scalpers standing at the rear of the bus. Magnum’s feet were just visible and it was clear he was still laying down. Ben swallowed a lump of fear that had formed in his throat as he raised his pistol. For all he knew, it might explode in his hand. It was also entirely possible that the gun might do nothing at all. The barrel was clear and the hammer worked. Other than that, he simply had no idea, but he couldn’t wait.

  “Now?” Kim mouthed as she pointed her hand cannon at the group.

  He nodded. Her pistol fired with a deafening roar. It knocked her hand backward, and there was a snap as her forearm hit the seat support. Ben didn’t see her wince in pain because his eyes were locked on the outlaws. The hand cannon was a short-range weapon. It blasted the contents of its barrel on a wide pattern. One outlaw’s head was blown to bits, and several others took shrapnel. Two of the Scalpers fell, one dead, one wounded. Two more doubled over in pain. The one who was closest to Magnum turned and saw Ben, just as he pulled the trigger. The frag gun popped, the recoil sounding almost benign compared to the hand cannon’s. The bullet hit the man in the forehead, and he dropped dead instantly.

  Ben immediately worked the slide on his pistol to be able to fire another shot as the only unwounded outlaw tried to rush toward him. Ben saw a knife in the man’s hand. Fear stabbed through him like a bolt of lightning. Magnum grabbed the outlaw’s foot, and the man fell. Kim screamed and Ben shouted with fear, but the outlaw rolled to his side with the knife he had drawn sticking out of his chest. Blood bubbled from his mouth and tears filled the man’s eyes, then he spasmed and died.