Partners - Book 1

by Melissa Good

  Jess got back to the console and grabbed the comms. “Acknowledged, out. Dev, take us out and to the right. Don’t go anywhere outside those markers. They’ve got the waters mined.”

  “What does that mean?” Dev started the engines, and gently nudged the throttles forward. “What’s a mine?”

  “Big boom.” Jess turned and watched the vid, her trigger finger still itchy. It didn’t quite feel right, the normalness of the transaction. It was hard for her to believe that the fishery, greedy as it was for take, wouldn’t question a thirty crew boat where only one crewmember was visible, and an unfamiliar voice on the comms.

  Not after seeing Davog. Her guts clenched a little, thinking of him. Remembering the first few missions of her career, when she’d run full into him and nearly got her rookie head blown right off her body. She’d gotten lucky and gotten out, but she’d never forgotten his canny, icy precision and how his almost black eyes had bored through hers.

  Davog there and they just let them go? A thought occurred to her, and she turned back to Dev. “Trade places for a minute. Run a scan on that barrel they dumped on the deck. See what’s in there.” She took over the throttles as Dev stepped to one side, feeling the vibration of the engines through the palms of her hands.

  Dev turned and adjusted the scanner, opening up its field and walking to the back of the control room, watching the analyzer finish its sweep. The scanner focused in on the barrel, running first a bio sweep, which was negative. Then she went on for a threat portfolio, watching intently as it went through the various possibilities that included destructive things.

  Also negative. “Clean so far,” she called over her shoulder. “What am I supposed to see in there?”

  “Gold.”

  “Ah.” Dev nodded. “Atomic element seventy-nine, isn’t it?”

  Jess sighed, as she took the boat out and into the carefully lined lane. “I feel like such a dipshit around you sometimes.”

  Dev straightened. “What?”

  “Never mind.”

  Dev came over and showed her the display. “The barrel is, in fact, filled with that element,” she said. “So that is a good thing?”

  “That’s a freaking amazing thing,” Jess said. “It makes me not trust it. Davog should have stopped us. We didn’t look right.” She increased speed a little and resisted the urge to look behind her, the spot between her shoulder blades itching fiercely. “We didn’t look or act right and they should have held us.”

  “But they didn’t.”

  “No.”

  “Do you think they will?”

  “Damned if I know,” Jess said. “I’d be very surprised if we weren’t followed. Even though we turned over legit catch, and they paid us in legit chits. I know we were out of spec.” She slid out of the way. “Here you take it.”

  Dev took the controls. “Maybe they didn’t notice.”

  Jess went back to the hatch and opened it, keeping her hood up and tucked around her head in case long range scan was focusing on them. She watched the rapidly retreating docks, spotting another boat heading in behind them, but saw no sign of being chased.

  Was Dev right? She scanned the huge structure, looking for a flash of motion or a reflection where there shouldn’t be any. But the stained and battered metal remained just that, as they came around the side of the facility and went past the processing stations.

  On this side, prepared product was loading onto trundles, the short haul delivery boats that would make the trip across the water to the isolated communities on the islands all around them.

  As she watched, one of the trawlers started out from the bay, two men on the deck watching them idly. Was it really a trawler? Jess watched it closely, her fingers closing on the blaster at her side. But the other boat curved away to the south, while their route was north, and in a minute they had left them far behind.

  So they were out. She had what she wanted, and they could head to the Highland Island market and pick up the tempting delicacies that would gain them entrance to the secure space they needed to get into.

  It was all working great. Jess gazed unhappily at the empty sea. Wasn’t it?

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  DEV WATCHED THE approaching sea station with a sense of bemusement. It was a little like the fish place, but this was two of them, smaller, between a set of rocky escarpments so they formed a sort of gate. The boat would have to go between them, and she could see that there was something strung there blocking the way.

  She was dressed in some of the fisher people’s clothes that Jess had found below decks, a high necked thick fabric shirt and a pair of somewhat funny pants that had straps that went over her shoulders and held them up. It was all quite comfortable, and she had her sharkskin jacket to wear over it when they got to the market.

  Dev slowed the engines as another boat ahead of her did the same, coming close enough now for her to see men on the little towers, holding guns.

  That was confusing. She turned her head as Jess entered the control space, her partner’s body also encased in borrowed clothing. “They seem in some discomfort ahead.” She pointed at the gates.

  “Nah.” Jess came up to stand next to her. “That’s normal. They don’t like people to make trouble in the market.” She rested her hands on the console. “I’ve been here about a dozen times. None of them as myself.”

  “I see.”

  Jess studied the boat ahead of them, which was longer but narrower than theirs, and had a haphazard pile of fishing equipment on the back of it. “Crabber.” She indicated the boxes on the back, which were stacked up high all over. “Those guys make credit like crazy.”

  “That crab was good.” Dev admitted. “Do you think they’ll have some more of them here?”

  Jess laughed. “That’s the least of what they’ll have here.” She draped her arm over Dev’s shoulder. “Market’s sort of a no man’s land in a way. The other side knows we come here, we know they come here, everyone pretends they don’t know anyone but everyone’s trying to get goodies to take home.”

  “It’s something you have in common,” Dev said.

  Jess looked thoughtful, then she shrugged. “It’s what all humans have in common I guess. We all like to get stuff. Get luxuries. Know that we can take a few chits and get some comfort.”

  “I like that too.” Dev adjusted the throttles again, backing them down as the boat ahead of them went to idle speed. “So I guess you’re right, if even bio alts do it.”

  “Even?” Jess bumped her. “You’re a great barterer. I heard you in Quebec.”

  Dev smiled.

  “Now. Keep it nice and steady as we’re going through,” Jess said as the boat ahead of them passed through the gates and they were coming up on them themselves. “This boat’s known here.”

  Dev nodded, watching the men on the towers. They were examining them closely, but as Jess had said, they apparently knew the ship because the gate drifted open and the man on the right hand tower waved at them. She waved back, just as the radio crackled to life.

  “Northern Star, over.”

  “Answer it,” Jess said quietly.

  Dev keyed comms. “This is Northern Star. Go ahead.”

  “Welcome. Third dock, inside jetty, first space, the usual. Compliments to Sig.”

  “Oh no. They really really do know them here,” Jess murmured. “Bouncy little bastard. This could be trickier than I thought.”

  “Acknowledged,” Dev said. “Sigurd sends his regards.” She paused slightly then went on. “He says he hopes you have something worth buying this time.”

  Jess turned her head and stared, round eyed, at her.

  The radio erupted in laughter. “Tell him I hope he’s actually got chits this time not polished fish scales,” the voice called back. “Over.”

  “I will, thank you.” Dev unkeyed the comm. “I hope that was not really incorrect.”

  “How in the hell did you know to say that?” Jess said, after a long moment’s silence. “
Where did that all come from?”

  How did she know? “I thought about what he might have said to that, and that’s what it was,” she finally answered. “Was it incorrect?”

  “No,” Jess said. “I think it’s pretty much exactly what he would have said. But how did you know that? You only just met the guy.”

  “I don’t know,” Dev said. “Can we talk about this after I finish piloting? I don’t want to hit anything.”

  Jess chuckled wryly. “That’s the nicest way anyone’s ever told me to shut the hell up.” She gave Dev a light scratch on the back with her fingertips. “Sure. Third dock’s that way, portside. One’s up at the top, that’s the ritzy harbor. Then three’s on the east side.”

  Obediently, Dev steered toward the right, as the other boat puttered off to the left. She could see the many docks clustering around the edge of the island and it seemed rather busy with traffic. Very different. Very interesting.

  Jess was watching everything with a look of intense alertness. Her eyes were sweeping all the other ships and searched diligently for outlines she might recognize, or people she knew. Highland Market was a fun but dangerous place, and having seen Davog at the fishery, she suspected she would find more of his ilk here.

  It happened. Sometimes, between the escalations and insertions, she’d even shared a cup of grog with one or the other of them here, since it was recognized as a truce area. No nasty business allowed, or you ended up in the Highland lock down and what she’d heard of that wasn’t something she wanted to experience. No one wanted to be outted, which they would be, and have their organization embarrassed, which they would be, and end up being punked and demoted which they definitely would be as she’d seen it happen to others including Jason.

  So all of them kept up the facade and pretended not to be who they were, and ignored old grudges while they were there on the island. Jess, however, suspected that regardless of that, and of the unofficial rules, if she was spotted and recognized the rules would go out the window.

  Not after blowing up half a damned mountain.

  They motored around the edge of the island and Jess pointed at the entrance to the harbor they’d been assigned to. This one was about half full, and most of the boats were empty and bobbing quietly at rest. They passed between them and found the slip they were to park in, up near the front and handy to the long ramp leading up.

  “Okay.” Jess put her hands on her hips. “We’re peace bonded here.”

  Dev’s blonde eyebrow inched up.

  “No weapons.”

  “I see.”

  “We’re going to go out there and browse the market. You’re gonna be the moneybags.”

  Dev’s other eyebrow crept up to join its mate.

  “You’re the one who looks like Sigurd,” Jess said. “So you’ll carry the chit record. I’m just along to protect you. I’m not going to pretend to be someone else this time. I’m just gonna be an Interforce agent Sigurd hooked into protecting his patch.”

  “All right.” Dev actually managed to follow that. “What about...I’m here by myself because I...um...” She frowned. “Remember that bet thing you mentioned? I looked it up in comp. What if I bet the rest of the fisher people that I couldn’t take this boat here by myself?”

  Jess grinned wholeheartedly. “Oh I like that.”

  “So he agreed but he sent you along to make sure I didn’t get into trouble. Does that work?”

  Jess leaned forward and gave her a lingering kiss on the lips. “You’re the bomb.”

  “I am?” Dev was confused. “So that was incorrect?”

  “No.”

  “I see. So in this case, bombs are good?”

  “Yes.” Jess wrapped her arms around Dev and hugged her. “I don’t know what Bricker was thinking when he asked for you, but I’m damn glad he did.”

  Dev smiled in relief, returning the hug. “I’m glad too.”

  They shut down the control center and dogged the hatch, and Jess led the way down the steps to the side of the ship that was close to the walkway.

  “Here.” Jess handed Dev an embossed card. “That’s the value of that can. They’ll lift that up and bank it, see?” She pointed at the shore side grapple latching on to the can and picking it up. It was placed in a weatherworn casing right next to the dock marked with the same number as the ship had. “You can’t carry all that around with you.”

  The container bong’d softly, and a number registered on the side of it. Jess grunted. “They also take a percent off for the service, but that’s okay.”

  Dev merely nodded.

  “So now you can use the card to get stuff. When they deliver it to the ship, they put their cards in that slot, and register chits to it. Then they pick up the chits before they leave,” Jess said. “It’s totally local to this island. Not worth anything anywhere else but it keeps people from being hit over the head in the market and getting their chits stolen.”

  “I see.”

  “It’s anonymous in that, the card is only matched to that dock number,” Jess concluded. “So let’s go shop.”

  They crossed over onto the dock and walked up the ramp. It was late afternoon and the walkways were mostly empty, only two or three people strolling in the opposite direction.

  It was cold, but not freezing, Dev noticed. Her jacket kept her reasonably warm, and she stuck her hands in her pockets as they reached a set of chiseled steps and started walking up them. There was some moss on the rocks, but otherwise it was clean, and as they got to the top she almost stopped at the view below them.

  She had thought Quebec was chaotic? It had nothing on this place. The whole inside of the hill was full of stone shelters, lines and lines of them in concentric circles around a big tower in the center. Between the shelters were aisles full of people, and she could hear noise and the sound of people talking, brushing against her in waves that matched the confusion of smells and colors. “Wow.”

  Jess chuckled and led the way down the steps. “C’mon.”

  As they walked, the cold wind was cut off and it became a lot more comfortable. Dev pushed her hood back and drew in a breath full of strange scents and her ears caught the sound she now recognized as music somewhere in the mix. She followed Jess down the carved steps into one of the aisles, and as the stone walls rose up next to her she put her hand out and touched one. “Oh.” She looked at it. “It’s warm.”

  “Yeah.” Jess paused to scan the aisle, and then moved forward again. “This is what’s left of one of the smaller volcanoes that went off back in the day. That outside ring was the crater, and this island’s what’s left of the cone that got drowned when the seas all came up.”

  Dev wasn’t sure she liked the idea of being inside a volcano, but she did enjoy the warmth and she was able to open up her jacket as they entered the area where all the stone shelters were.

  Like in Quebec, there were people inside the shelters with all kinds of different things. It seemed more organized though, and the people around them were dressed both more richly and far more strangely to her eyes. Some had seashells decorating them, and others had colored marking on their skin that was a little like what Jess had.

  “Hey there, kid! Whatcha looking for? Want some of this?” A male voice sounded just ahead of them. Dev realized belatedly he was addressing her, and she peered into his little shelter. It had some of the strange clothing, strips of one color intertwined with a second, looking more like undergarments than anything else.

  “No, she doesn’t,” Jess said, steering her past. “She likes to wear things more than once.”

  Dev wasn’t sure what that meant, but she saw the man glare at Jess until he saw the insignia she’d pinned to the collar of the fisherman’s overall she was wearing and then he turned his back on them.

  He was afraid. Dev saw it in his face before he turned. “What are those?” She whispered to Jess as they moved past. “I like the colors.”

  “Women wear them and dance in them to let people know they want
sex,” Jess said. “I’d rather we keep that private between us, if you don’t mind.”

  Dev felt her face warm as the blood rose to her cheeks. “I see.”

  “Besides, that’s not something the science boys would like. Now...” Jess led her down a cross alley and into the next ring. “This is more like it.” She slowed down as they came even to a bigger shelter that was full of steel barrels and rows and rows of drink dispensers. “Ice wine.”

  Dev had absolutely no idea what that was, but she went with it and found herself face to face with a ginger haired woman in a deep purple one piece outfit that ended at her knees and left most of her arms exposed. Dev felt chilly just watching her. “Hello,” she said, as the woman focused on her.

  “Top of the day to ya,” the woman amiably responded. “Looking for a bottle or two?”

  Dev waited to see if Jess was going to intervene, but when she remained silent, she figured just being straightforward would be the best. “I don’t know. What is it?”

  “Ahhh.” The woman didn’t even look at Jess. She picked up a small glass and uncapped a bottle, pouring a bit into the glass and offering it to Dev. “Taste for yourself.”

  Dev took the glass and sipped it gingerly. It tasted like...well, nothing she’d ever tasted was like it. There was a clean sweetness to it that was very appealing, and it seemed to evaporate on the back of her tongue. “Oh. Wow.”

  The woman grinned.

  “How do you make this?” Dev asked, curious. “It tastes excellent.”

  There were two other men in the shelter, and they were watching, but kept their distance. They looked for other people walking by to pitch their product to. Everyone ignored Jess.

  “Family secret.” The woman winked at her. “Let’s just say we’ve got some family upside and we provide the ice. Like it?”

  Dev nodded. She felt Jess lay her hand on her back, and her fingers tightened twice. “I think I would like two bottles. How much are they?”

  The woman sat down on a box and they settled in to bargain.

  Jess was content to listen. She was aware of all the eyeballs on them, but she’d put her insignia on for a reason and there was a bit of gratification on seeing the wariness. The crowd was light, she noted, far lighter than the last time she’d been on the island and the merchants around looked more than a little discouraged. Was it the weather?